


one step closer

by SJAandDWfan



Category: The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: Buckle up folks, F/F, alyssa is a professional dancer, dancing with each other might send greenelan to an early grave, dancing with the stars au, emma is a singer songwriter on the rise, they get partnered together to boost ratings, this about to get long, this fic comes complete with playlist, what could go wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2020-10-01 00:31:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 138,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20456126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SJAandDWfan/pseuds/SJAandDWfan
Summary: Suddenly Emma felt a hand on her shoulder, and she knew her dance partner was behind her. She took a deep breath and turned around.She was face to face with a beautiful young woman.Emma’s brain glitched for a long moment as she tried to piece it all together. The woman smiled wide, her deep brown eyes only betraying a hint of apprehension. Emma opened her mouth and closed it again, completely lost for words. Had she been paired with a woman?“Hi, Emma,” the woman said softly. “I’m Alyssa. I’m gonna be your dance partner.”“What?” Emma asked weakly, knowing her eyes were wide and confused.Alyssa gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m the lucky person who gets to teach you how to dance.”orthe dancing with the stars au in which emma and alyssa are the show's first same-sex partnership





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> welcome, friends, to the big multichap idea i've been sitting on for a little while now! i finally got planning organised this week - only really because my friend dani is a literal genius and the best hype person you could ever ask for - and i'm real excited about this one...
> 
> here's the plan: each chapter will be a week of the show (except for one of the chapters cause there's gonna be too much happening) so i'm not entirely sure how even they'll be in terms of word count. they probably won't all be 12k chapters... (probably)
> 
> also! dani and i made a playlist! it's the songs that emma and alyssa will dance to over the course of the season, so be sure to check that out on their spotify (it probably won't spoil anything but we would love to hear your predictions based on the songs!)
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/user/1246304850/playlist/1dnCvdptmxNQ8rK5zbY1GU?si=M3FZYrPvRSOOmR5MU8VKIg
> 
> promsemble people mentioned in this chapter: nate (nick eibler's character), marcus (anthony norman's character), jules (juice mackins' character), natalie (brittany zeinstra's character), noah (fernell hogan's character), hayden (brittany cogniatti's character), winnie (shelby finnie's character).
> 
> please keep in mind that i am not a dancer and so i'm learning a lot about various ballroom and latin styles as i go! and, for anyone interested, a number of the themes are based LOOSELY off of season 25 but i definitely intend to take a lot of creative liberty when it comes to the eliminations because the way dwts have been doing it recently is, uh, DUMB.
> 
> enjoy!

Chapter One: First Dances

* * *

**i don’t know what this is / but you got me good / just like you knew you would**

**i don’t know what you do / but you do it well / i’m under your spell**

* * *

“I think I’ve made a huge mistake by saying yes to this,” Emma said, phone up to her ear as she stirred the pot of pasta on the stove with one hand and reached for the jar of sauce with the other. “I’ve been in LA for less than six months and this is what I’m doing? Gran, please tell me I’m an idiot.”

“I won’t say you’re not an idiot sometimes,” Betsy Nolan replied. “But I think this could be really good for you. You can make friends, and industry connections, and learn a new skill while you’re at it!”

“I guess,” Emma said, dumping the contents of the jar into another saucepan to heat it up a bit. “The label’s been on my back about doing more public stuff to bring new fans in, but I just thought they meant, like, performing on a talk show or something. This seems a lot more long term, even if I get voted out first.”

“But it’s definitely good for your image,” Betsy said. “People will get to know the real you and, besides, I hear the money isn’t bad even if you’re dead last.”

Emma laughed. “Yeah, I guess I have to afford the rent somehow. I just… _Dancing with the Stars_? Really? I’m not a star.”

“Emma Nolan, you are a star,” her grandma told her sternly. “Look how far your career’s come on in the past year or so!”

“You’re just saying that because you have to be my biggest fan,” Emma teased, switching the stove off and grabbing a colander to drain the pasta. “And my career might end up tanking when everyone realizes I can’t dance for shit.”

“You’ll learn,” Betsy said. “That’s part of the pro dancer’s job, right? To teach you how to dance.”

“I feel sorry for whichever guy they pair me with,” Emma said with a sigh. “Stuck trying to create convincible chemistry with the lesbian that has two left feet.”

She heard her grandma laugh on the other end of the line. “Maybe you’ll get paired with one of the gay guys. You just know half the male pros are gay.”

“I hope I do,” she said. “At least then we’d have one thing in common.”

“When do you find out who you have?”

“In a few days,” Emma said. “A producer from the show called earlier and said that my dance partner would meet me after my gig this weekend. There’ll probably be a camera crew, but it’ll be after everyone else has gone home so it shouldn’t interfere too badly.”

“Call me as soon as you know who it is,” Betsy said.

“I will,” Emma promised. She knew her gran watched _Dancing with the Stars _occasionally, and would have a much better idea of the background of her mystery dance partner than Emma did. Honestly, Emma had only seen a couple episodes a few years ago, and had no idea who anyone really was.

“Good luck, honey,” Betsy said.

“Thanks,” Emma said. She sighed suddenly. “Shit.”

“What?”

“I accidentally made a mountain of pasta again.”

* * *

“Alyssa?”

“Hm?”

“I said, who do you think you’re gonna get?”

Alyssa looked over at Shelby, the two of them sat in the back corner of the rehearsal studio listening to a producer drone on about the upcoming season. Alyssa had actually been paying attention, mostly, but she’d allowed her mind to wander to possible choreography ideas for various dances.

“I have no idea,” Alyssa said, trying to recall the list of male celebrities that would be on this season’s competition. “Maybe Marcus Matthews? You know, the actor with the big hair?”

Shelby glared at her. “Hey, I call dibs on him. He models, too, by the way.”

“Of course he does,” Alyssa said. “Besides, we don’t get to call dibs. We can just suggest which one we think we’d be a good fit for.”

“I know,” Shelby said. “I have been doing this for three seasons now, Alyssa.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Alyssa rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Go ahead and remind me it’s my first season graduating from the troupe.”

Shelby backhanded her. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Shh,” Alyssa said, a glint in her eyes. “We’re meant to be listening.”

Shelby narrowed her eyes in response, and Alyssa stifled a giggle as she turned her attention back to the producer. The man clapped his hands together once, looking momentarily to the side – where a man in a suit nodded at him – before turning back to the thirteen pro dancers gathered before him.

“Some of the mathematicians among you may have noticed that there are seven women here, and seven female celebs,” he said. “That’s because we’ve decided to try something a little controversial.”

A heavy weight settled in Alyssa’s stomach, because she immediately knew where this was going.

“We want to pair Emma Nolan with a woman,” the producer continued, raising his eyebrows as if expecting a reaction. Most of the dancers just waited for him to carry on. “Uh, she’s well-known for being a homosexual, and we thought that pairing her with a female dancer might boost some ratings.”

Alyssa squirmed in her seat. She had no idea who this Emma woman was, but she hated the thought of her sexuality being used as a gimmick. She saw Shelby glance at her out of the corner of her eye and knew her friend could tell exactly how uncomfortable Alyssa was. And why.

“That’s all,” the producer concluded, clearly disappointed at how in-stride everyone had taken the news.

Alyssa didn’t know what he expected. Most of the people in this room had gay friends on the dance circuit and, although the thought of a same-sex pairing on the show was a new one, nobody really seemed to be put out by it. Alyssa didn’t think any of the female pros would volunteer for it, however.

Honestly, she didn’t want them to. As far as she knew, every other female pro in this room was straight. And although they probably had no issues with Emma, Alyssa didn’t want them to make the poor woman uncomfortable. Alyssa knew what she had to do.

Ignoring a niggling voice that told her that she had ulterior motives than just protecting someone she didn’t know, Alyssa made her way to the front of the room as everyone milled around and started chatting. She walked right up to the producer, who turned to look at her with interest.

“Miss Greene, did you have any questions or concerns?”

“Not really,” Alyssa said, clearing her throat. “I just… I’d like to be paired with Emma Nolan, please. I think we’d work well together.”

The producer glanced her up and down but didn’t question her further. “We’ll… take that into consideration.”

* * *

Emma tapped her fingers against her thigh, sat on her couch watching reruns of last season’s _Dancing with the Stars_. God, all the competitors were already so good in week one. How on earth was Emma meant to match that? Even when the judges criticized them, Emma couldn’t tell where they’d gone wrong.

She looked at all the male pros, trying to figure out who she may end up paired with. There was a short guy with brown hair who was clearly gay, so she hoped she’d get him. Nate? Nick? Emma wasn’t sure what his name was. There was Kevin, too, who had apparently been on the show for a few years. Betsy said he was straight, but he looked kind. Maybe he wouldn’t be terrible to get partnered with.

Emma looked at the costumes the women were wearing for their routines and felt her stomach twist uncomfortably. She didn’t want to be dressed like that. She didn’t want to wear the barely-there Latin dance costumes at all. She didn’t really want to wear any of the Ballroom dresses, either. Dresses just weren’t her thing, but she figured her odds of convincing both the producers and the wardrobe department were slim to none.

She groaned, tipping her head backwards on the couch. She had a gig to get ready for and here she was, sitting in her apartment watching overdramatized reality TV and knowing that she would soon be a part of it.

Regardless of which pro she got, Emma just hoped that he would be easy to get along with. Even if she was voted out first, she’d still have to spend several hours every day for three weeks with her dance partner. So, it would all be a lot more bearable if she was paired with someone nice.

Deciding that she’d seen enough of the show for today, Emma grabbed her guitar case and stood up from the couch. She looked down to check her outfit for the pre-show meet and greet was acceptable – dark jeans and a nice button-up shirt – before taking a deep breath and grabbing her keys.

Sure, she was going to be meeting her dance partner tonight, but first she had a show to play.

* * *

“Alyssa, you’ll be with Emma Nolan.”

The words had been echoing in Alyssa’s mind for hours. She still didn’t know exactly how she felt about it, even though she’d asked for this to happen. She was mostly relieved that Emma hadn’t been paired with someone like Kaylee, who wasn’t homophobic but would definitely be less than comfortable dancing some of the more intimate styles with a woman, which would hinder their chances in the competition.

And yet, there was a small part of Alyssa that was nervous.

Although the dancers hadn’t had a big reaction to the same-sex pairing idea, Alyssa knew that there would be plenty of people out there who would. And it wouldn’t necessarily be a good reaction. She knew her Twitter mentions were probably going to be at least partly filled with homophobic nonsense, and she wasn’t exactly looking forward to her own sexuality being attacked.

Even though only a few people knew how personal it would be.

It wasn’t like Alyssa was really in the closet; not like she used to be. People just… never really asked her what her sexuality was, so she didn’t tell them. Part of her worried what it could do to her dance career if the public knew she was a lesbian, of course, and so Alyssa had decided a couple of years ago to not make a coming out announcement, but not to hide herself away either. It basically meant that most people just assumed she was straight, and Alyssa never bothered to correct them.

But she had a feeling that being paired with Emma might call her own sexuality into question. She needed to be prepared for that.

Now, waiting to get into Emma’s gig, Alyssa made the decision to type her name into the search bar on Instagram. She didn’t really know who Emma was, after all, just that she was an up and coming singer-songwriter and that she was meant to be meeting her after the show tonight. It wasn’t really required of her to watch Emma perform, but she was curious.

Curiosity was what had made her search Emma on Instagram, too. Her profile came up and Alyssa started scrolling, quickly seeing a picture of who she assumed was Emma holding a fluffy white puppy. Alyssa clicked on it to see bigger image, smiling a little at how cute it was.

Emma had messy honey-blonde hair cropped to chin-level, although it looked a little shorter in the back. According to her profile, Emma was twenty-four years old, the same age as Alyssa, although her haircut almost made her look younger. She wore glasses. Alyssa pretended not to notice how pretty she was. She looked at another picture.

This one was clearly from one of her gigs. Emma was holding her guitar, grinning out at the audience as she played. Alyssa scrolled further, her heart skipping a beat as she came across a picture that was clearly from a magazine shoot. Emma’s hazel eyes were accentuated by some smokey eyeshadow, and she’d evidently been told to ditch the glasses for this particular picture. Her pink lips were slightly parted, and her hair was tousled perfectly.

Alyssa closed the app.

So what if Emma was cute? It didn’t matter, because Alyssa was here to be her dance partner and nothing more. Focusing in on the importance of the show and the competition – not to mention her _job _– Alyssa breathed easier again as she followed everyone else into the venue.

The crowd roared as soon as Emma came onstage. Even Alyssa, who was right at the back, could see the smile on Emma’s face as she saw everyone in the audience. Her guitar was already onstage, and she picked it up from its stand, slinging the strap over her head and stepping up to the mic.

“Hi everyone,” she said. “Um, my name is Emma Nolan, and I’m here to sing some songs for you.”

The crowd, filled mainly with young women, cheered again. Alyssa joined in, a smile spreading across her face as soon as Emma began to pluck out a melody on the strings. When she started singing, her voice was sweet and crystal clear. Damn, she was talented.

Alyssa watched, enraptured, for the whole show.

* * *

Emma stood on the stage, chatting with her sound technician as she tried to keep the nerves at bay. The _Dancing with the Stars_ camera crew were prepping for the reveal and, with every passing moment, Emma felt more and more dread wash over her. Why had she agreed to do this? She’d already filmed a ‘bit’ just now where she was asked who she wanted to be paired with, and had kept her answer pretty short, stating that she simply wanted someone who she’d be able to get along with. She’d also added that she needed someone who would be patient in teaching her, as she had no dance experience whatsoever.

Now, a crew member put a finger to his earpiece and signalled the camera. The sound technician was ushered out of shot and then it was just Emma. She fiddled nervously with her glasses as she waited with her back to where her partner would be appearing. There was a camera in front of her, and a camera to the side of her, to capture different angles of the reveal. Emma had filmed a couple of music videos in the last year, but she’d never felt this uncomfortable in front of a camera before. She wanted her guitar. At least then she’d have something to do with her hands.

Suddenly Emma felt a hand on her shoulder, and she knew her dance partner was behind her. She took a deep breath and turned around.

She was face to face with a beautiful young woman.

Emma’s brain glitched for a long moment as she tried to piece it all together. The woman smiled wide, her deep brown eyes only betraying a hint of apprehension. Emma opened her mouth and closed it again, completely lost for words. Had she been paired with a _woman_?

“Hi, Emma,” the woman said softly. “I’m Alyssa. I’m gonna be your dance partner.”

“What?” Emma asked weakly, knowing her eyes were wide and confused.

Alyssa gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m the lucky person who gets to teach you how to dance.”

“Oh,” Emma breathed, mind going from zero to a hundred instantly. It was real; she was going to be dancing with a woman on the show. “Has this… has this ever happened before?”

“Nope,” Alyssa said cheerfully, clearly knowing exactly what Emma meant. “We’re the first.”

“Well, then,” Emma said, blinking rapidly in an attempt to focus. “That’s cool. Does this mean I won’t have to wear dresses?”

Alyssa laughed delightedly. “You’ll have to take that up with the costume designers.”

Emma was about to say something else when someone called for the cameras to cut. She frowned, suddenly remembering that the whole thing had been filmed and would probably be broadcast to millions of people in a couple of weeks’ time. Alyssa, perhaps realizing this, gently grabbed her hand and led her into the wings and away from the crew.

“Hey, sorry for the big surprise,” Alyssa said. “It’s a weird situation.”

“It’s okay,” Emma said. “I just… honestly, I was expecting them to pair me with a guy.”

“Would you rather they did?” Alyssa asked, raising an eyebrow playfully.

“Definitely not.”

Alyssa smiled at her again. “For real, though, I don’t think anyone will make you wear a dress if you don’t want to. The people in the wardrobe department are lovely.”

“That’s a relief,” Emma said with a sigh, her shoulders relaxing. “And, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

“Well, firstly for being stuck with someone who will probably never be able to dance,” Emma said with a laugh, before she turned more serious. “And also because conservative America is going to hate us.”

“I don’t give a shit,” Alyssa said fiercely, taking Emma by surprise. “That’s their problem. My job is to teach you how to dance, and to support you through your journey on the show. Not to care about homophobes and their opinions.”

“Wow, okay,” Emma said. “Uh, well said.”

“Thanks,” Alyssa said, calming down again after her semi-outburst. “And on that note, our first rehearsal is Monday morning at ten. If you give me your number then I can text you the address of the studio.”

“Oh, right, of course,” Emma said, taking Alyssa’s phone and putting her number in it with slightly shaky hands. This whole ‘dancing’ thing was really happening. “Done.”

“Awesome,” Alyssa said. “I have to go work on some choreo ideas for our first routine, but I’ll see you the day after tomorrow for some Cha-Cha-Cha!”

“Yeah, see you,” Emma said, still in a little bit of a daze.

Alyssa turned to go, throwing over her shoulder, “Amazing gig, by the way.”

“Thank you,” Emma whispered, watching as Alyssa disappeared from view.

Holy shit. She had one hell of a call to make to her grandma.

* * *

Alyssa could tell right away that Emma had received a grand total of zero dance lessons in her life.

Pushing back her teaching schedule slightly in her head, Alyssa decided to first focus on the basics – getting Emma to move her body to the music. She plugged her phone into the speaker dock, picking a random top 40 song with a strong beat and letting the music fill the studio. She held out her hand to Emma.

“Come on,” she said above the music. “Let’s start with the feet and work our way up.”

“Sure,” Emma squeaked, looking every bit out of place.

“It’s okay,” Alyssa said, squeezing Emma’s hand as soon as it slid into her own. “Hear the beat? One, two, three, four.”

“Yeah.”

“We’re just gonna do two steps forward and two steps back,” Alyssa said, turning so that she and Emma were side by side facing the mirror wall. “One, two, back, two. One, two, back, two.”

Emma moved with her, copying Alyssa with a little crease between her eyebrows. “Like this?”

“Just like that,” Alyssa grinned. “Now we’re gonna do the same thing but to the side. Right for two, then left for two, on the next count.”

She stepped to the right, tugging a little on Emma’s hand to get her to move with her. Emma complied, a tiny smile tugging at her lips as she did it right the first time. Alyssa met her eyes in the mirror briefly, and then Emma ducked her head again.

“Chin up,” Alyssa reminded her. “I know it’s tempting, but don’t look at your feet. You gotta trust yourself.”

“Talk about a real challenge,” Emma huffed.

“It’ll come,” Alyssa assured her. “Okay. Next step: One step forward, one step backward, then left foot, right foot, left foot. Watch me for a second.”

Alyssa demonstrated, rocking forward on her left foot on the second beat of the bar, back on her right foot on the third beat, then stepping left, bringing her right foot to join, then stepping left again on the ‘four and one’ beat. She did it again, counting out loud for Emma’s benefit.

“Two, three, four-and-one. Two, three, four-and-one.”

Emma looked at her like she was speaking another language. “Come again?”

“In the Cha Cha, you rock on the second beat,” Alyssa explained. “That’s your step forwards for now.”

“Okay,” Emma said, still looking bewildered.

“Sometimes it’s easier to just try it,” Alyssa encouraged. “Watch in the mirror and copy me again.”

“Two, three, left-together-left,” Emma muttered under her breath, stumbling a bit but picking it up after a few tries.

“You’re doing so good,” Alyssa praised. “And that, Emma Nolan, is a basic Cha Cha step.”

“Wait, I’m doing the step?” Emma asked, eyes wide as she kept going.

“You sure are,” Alyssa said. “Ready for another one?”

“Oh, God. I guess,” Emma said, pulling a face that made Alyssa laugh.

“Alright, so you finish that step with the weight on your left foot,” Alyssa started, both of them coming to a standstill for a moment. “On the next ‘two’, you’re going to rock backward on your right foot, forward on your left, then do your side-together-side, but leading with your right foot. Like this.”

She demonstrated, Emma watching her feet closely. Alyssa was careful to keep the flourish in her steps to a minimum; she didn’t want to scare Emma with the technique yet, after all. Hip and arm movements would come later – for now, she just wanted Emma to focus on her feet.

Once Emma had gotten the second step down, they put them together. Starting with the rock forward-backward and the left-together-left step, followed immediately by the rock backward-forward and the right-together-right step. It was the opposite of what Alyssa would be dancing come the actual routine, with Emma taking the leader’s steps and she the follower’s steps, but Emma didn’t need to know that right now. If she could get Emma to do the same thing as her for now, eventually she’d be able to do it while Alyssa was doing something different.

After a while, the movement seemed to be ingrained in Emma’s feet and she didn’t even have to look at Alyssa anymore. Instead, her gaze was fixed on the mirror, watching herself as she trod through the steps gamely. And even though Alyssa hadn’t had any doubts about it, now she knew that Emma was an honest trier, which was all she could ever want in a dance partner.

‘’Let’s call it for today,” she suggested, seeing Emma’s cheeks flushed after an extended period of concentration and movement.

Emma relaxed instantly, coming to a standstill and exhaling deeply. “Thank God.”

“You may not think it, but you’ve got some natural rhythm,” Alyssa commented, and Emma actually snorted with laughter. “I mean it. You’d be surprised by how many singers don’t, considering their thing is music.”

“Well, maybe they just don’t have someone explain it as well as you,” Emma shrugged, and Alyssa tried to ignore the heat in her cheeks at the easy way Emma complimented her.

“Are you ready for press day tomorrow?” she asked instead, as they walked over to the corner where their bags were.

“As I’ll ever be,” Emma said, taking a drink from her water bottle. “I just know they’re gonna ask me what it’s like to be part of the show’s first same-sex couple, and I don’t really wanna focus on that, you know?”

“Yeah, I get you,” Alyssa said, thinking back to the look in the producer’s eyes when he’d revealed the idea and feeling anger boil in her veins.

“We’re just going to be two people dancing,” Emma shrugged. “That’s all. Is it going to be weird for you, dancing with another woman?”

“No,” Alyssa said. “I mean, I’ve never danced with a woman competitively, but sometimes the other female pros and I practice steps and it’s not really that different. I’m just going to be taller than my partner for once.”

“I’m taller than you,” Emma said with a pout.

“Not when I’m wearing heels, you won’t be,” Alyssa pointed out.

“Crap,” Emma said. She paused. “Alyssa?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m nervous.”

Alyssa gave her a sympathetic look. “I know. But we have two weeks until the first show, so even though you don’t feel ready now, you will by the time we do it for real.”

“You think you can teach me how to Cha Cha in two weeks?” Emma asked disbelievingly.

“Emma, look what you accomplished today,” Alyssa said earnestly. “Of course I think so.”

Emma ducked her head. “Well, thank you for being so patient with me today.”

“You’re welcome,” Alyssa said sincerely. “Now, I’ve got to grab lunch on my way to opening number group rehearsal, so I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning for our close-up, okay?”

She hesitated for only a moment before hugging Emma quickly, stepping back just as fast and turning to leave. Emma just stood there frozen, like she hadn’t been expecting the hug, and Alyssa cursed herself all the way to rehearsal.

* * *

Sure enough, most of the questions Emma fielded during the press day were about being paired with a woman.

“Did the show do this to accommodate the fact that you’re an out lesbian?”

“Will you be taking the man’s role in the dances?”

“What do you say to the people calling for traditionalism?”

It was exhausting.

“I don’t know.”

“I think so.”

“Well, the news hasn’t been broken to the public yet, so I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.”

She felt bad that Alyssa had gotten dragged into the whole thing. It wasn’t Alyssa’s problem; she was just an unfortunate straight woman who had been lumped with Emma and was now stuck dealing with all the shit thrown their way. And that was before the season’s partnerships had been revealed.

“Are you ready for lesson two?” Alyssa asked, pulling Emma from her thoughts of yesterday’s stresses.

“Yes,” Emma said, trying to appear more enthusiastic than she felt.

Alyssa had been great so far, but Emma couldn’t help thinking that this whole thing was a lost cause. She didn’t know what the hell she was doing here, and she only had two weeks to learn this dance, plus the beginnings of next week’s style. It was all way too much.

“Alright,” Alyssa said, putting on a piece of instrumental music that sounded vaguely Cuban to Emma. She wasn’t an expert in Latin music by any means, it being very far from her own music style, but she did recognize the beat. “Lesson one was feet. Wanna know what lesson two is?”

She started doing the steps she’d taught Emma before, only she was doing them a million times better. She grinned at Emma, raising her eyebrows expectantly. Emma chuckled, playing along.

“Sure. What’s lesson two?”

“Hips,” Alyssa said, and then she was adding hip movement to the steps, moving in complete harmony with the music.

Emma blanched. “Oh no. I—I can’t do that.”

“Sure you can,” Alyssa said easily. “We all move our hips without even thinking about it.”

“Yeah, but I don’t walk down the street like _that_,” Emma pointed out.

Alyssa scowled at her, but there was nothing behind it. “Humor me. Do the steps again, but this time move your hips with it.”

Emma sighed, pleasantly surprised to find that her body remembered the steps from two days ago. She tried to shimmy a little, and instantly felt her face turn red with embarrassment when the movement came out awkward and stilted. It just felt completely unnatural to her.

“I’m sorry.”

“Hey, you’ve got nothing to be sorry about,” Alyssa said, stopping and taking a step closer. “Nobody gets it right at the first attempt.”

“I just…” Emma trailed off, closing her eyes. “I don’t know how to be… you know, sexy.”

“There’s lots of ways to be sexy,” Alyssa said firmly, and Emma opened her eyes again. “This is just one of them.”

_Easy for you to say_, Emma thought.

“Give me your hands,” Alyssa instructed.

Emma did as she was told without thinking, only for her eyes to widen when Alyssa guided them to her own hips as she started moving to the music again. She didn’t step forward and back this time, but the movement was still just as strong. Emma bit the inside of her mouth at the feeling of Alyssa’s hips moving under hands.

“What can you feel?”

_An oncoming stroke._

“Um,” Emma said. “Rhythm? Freedom of movement?”

“Exactly. And I’m going to let you in on a little secret,” Alyssa said. “The hip action doesn’t actually come from the hips.”

Emma frowned. “What?”

“Put all your weight in one foot, and then bend the knee of your opposite leg,” Alyssa said, demonstrating for her. Her eyes lit up as Emma did it, too. “Would you look at that? It’s your hip.”

“Shut up,” Emma said, laughing it off as best she could while Alyssa was still holding her hands in place.

“Now swap which leg is bent.”

Emma straightened her bent knee, loading her weight into that leg before letting her other knee bend. Her eyebrows raised in surprise as she felt her hips move from side to side. “Oh.”

“Crazy, right?” Alyssa’s dark eyes were sparkling. “Keep your core muscles engaged, but let your hips be loose. And if you turn your pelvis to the side a little as you do it… exactly!”

“Holy shit,” Emma said.

“Now do it in time with me.”

A breathless laugh left Emma’s mouth as she kept swapping her legs where she stood. What she was doing probably couldn’t be considered _good_, but she was doing it. She had hip action, and it was actually easier than she ever thought possible. For a moment, Emma felt almost like she was one with the music.

And then Alyssa said that she thought Emma was ready to start learning the routine she’d choreographed for their first performance, and Emma felt nerves clawing in the pit of her stomach. She removed her hands from Alyssa’s hips, adjusting her glasses self-consciously as she thought of the entire routine she’d have to string together.

“We’re going to be dancing to _Mercy_, by Duffy,” Alyssa said, walking over to where her phone was plugged into the dock and changing the song. “I’ll play it for you now, and I want you to imagine doing those steps we’ve been practicing to the beat.”

“Wait, we’re not doing the whole song, are we?” Emma asked fearfully.

“We’re only doing about a minute,” Alyssa reassured her. “I’ve got the cut version here, too, but I just wanted to play the song in its entirety for you first.”

Emma breathed a sigh of relief. A minute-long routine seemed almost do-able. She nodded her head to the beat, picturing the steps that Alyssa had already taught her, and she couldn’t deny that it would work pretty well.

“Did you pick the song?” she asked.

“I did,” Alyssa confirmed with a nod, coming over to join Emma again. “As ‘professional partners’, we get given the theme and the style of dance, but the song and the choreo is up to us.”

“Wow. Do you know what we have on week two?”

“Well, there’s two dances next week,” Alyssa said carefully. Emma was aware of this already, but she appreciated that Alyssa seemed to know that this terrified her a little bit. “Night one is Ballroom, and we have the Foxtrot. Night two is Latin, and we have the Samba. So, think of these hip movement lessons as practice for the Samba, too.”

“If I don’t get eliminated before then,” Emma reminded her.

Every pair would dance twice – the first week dance, and then again the following week on Ballroom Night. Then, at the top of the Latin Night show the day after, the first couple would be eliminated. This meant that Emma would have to learn three dances in total, but might only perform two.

“Then think of these hip movement lessons as a fun new thing to learn,” Alyssa suggested. “I thought we could spend the whole of this week drilling the Cha Cha, and then we can introduce some of the Foxtrot stuff next week to get a head start. Just so you don’t have to learn two new styles in a week.”

“Do you have a song for the Foxtrot?” Emma asked. She didn’t really know what to expect from this style, but the name of the dance gave her a really funny mental image.

“Not yet,” Alyssa said. “I’m still looking for the perfect one.”

Emma nodded at her, and Alyssa smiled as she went to switch the full song out for the cut version.

“Ready to make a start on this routine?”

* * *

Between her two-hour rehearsals every morning with the rest of the pros for the first couple of group opening dances and her four-hour rehearsals every afternoon with Emma, Alyssa was pretty much ready to pass out every night. But she kept working, because there were only six days left until the first live show, and she still hadn’t decided on a Foxtrot song for week two.

On the bright side, Emma’s Cha Cha was coming along nicely. She’d learned the whole routine, and only forgot parts of it occasionally when Alyssa tweaked some of the choreo to play to her strengths. Her technique was improving with every run-through and, although she wasn’t confident enough to really _lead _the dance yet, Alyssa had no doubt that she would get there in time. Emma was a lot better at dancing than she clearly thought she was, at any rate.

Alyssa would see flashes of it occasionally; of Emma completely in sync with the beat and not having to overthink every move, but those flashes would be gone almost as quickly as they had come. She was determined to get Emma feeling more comfortable in her own skin, because it was when she lost the self-consciousness that her natural ability started to show.

Now, collapsed on her couch while she scrolled through potential Foxtrot songs on her phone for the millionth time in the past week, Alyssa found her thoughts drifting to Emma. There was no doubt that Emma was a very musically-orientated person, so maybe if she found a song that Emma knew well, then she’d be able to connect to it right away. Especially for a Ballroom dance like the Foxtrot, the music Alyssa was looking for would likely be more Emma’s style than the music for the Latin dances, so it was definitely worth a try.

Alyssa opened up the Instagram app on her phone, going to Emma’s profile (which she had finally followed a few days ago after realizing that she hadn’t already done that in her haste to close the app at the gig) and scrolling through to try and get some ideas. Her posts were no use, though; they were all pictures. Cute pictures, but nothing that helped her with finding a song. Puffing out her cheeks, Alyssa scrolled back up to the top of the page.

Highlights.

Emma had a highlights section titled ‘covers’. Alyssa clicked on it, waiting for the clips to load as she sat up straighter. The first cover was about a minute long, split over a few stories, and was just Emma and her guitar. Alyssa watched through the first few songs, still not finding anything that matched the vision in her head, and then the next song started.

Right away, Alyssa was hooked. Emma’s voice was so beautiful and clear, and her cover of this particular song was almost lulling Alyssa to sleep. Letting her eyes fall closed as Emma’s voice washed over her, Alyssa felt a smile spreading across her face, and she knew that this was the song. It was perfect. She just needed to find the right version of it, because as much as she wanted to use Emma’s, it was from an insta highlight recorded a year ago and probably wouldn’t be deemed suitable.

An hour – and a deep YouTube dive – later, Alyssa had found it. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong’s version of _Dream a Little Dream of Me _had sparked so many ideas in her mind of what she wanted their Foxtrot routine to look like, and suddenly Alyssa was torn between staying up all night to work on some choreo or passing out in bed like she’d originally intended.

Restricting herself to twenty minutes of gliding around her apartment by herself before bed, Alyssa felt herself begin to grow truly excited about teaching it to Emma.

* * *

“How are you finding it all so far, honey?”

Emma paused to think about it, trying her level best to ignore the fact that Darlene, the kind older woman talking to her, was also taking measurements of every inch of her body while she was stood there in her underwear. Costume fittings, Emma was discovering, weren’t all that fun.

“Kind of overwhelming,” she admitted after a moment. “Alyssa keeps telling me I’m getting better but… I just keep thinking about how everyone is probably so much further along than I am. We’ve got a group rehearsal on Saturday morning for when we come in at the end of the opening number and I’m sort of dreading seeing everyone.”

“If it’s any consolation, everyone else is just as overwhelmed as you are,” Darlene said, throwing some measurements over her shoulder to someone with a clipboard. Emma didn’t look at them. “Except for Nick Boomer, the NFL player. He seemed pretty confident when we were taking his measurements.”

“Isn’t he paired with one of Alyssa’s best friends?”

“Mhm. Kaylee,” Darlene said. “He couldn’t stop talking about how hot she was.”

“Yeah, that checks out,” Emma laughed. “Poor girl.”

Darlene scoffed. “Oh, Kaylee was singing the same tune during her fitting.”

“Well, then,” Emma said. “Good for them, I guess. Will the producers have an issue with that?”

“They can’t stop dance partners from fooling around,” Darlene shrugged. “Sometimes they’re all for a showmance if it’ll boost ratings. It’s on Nick and Kaylee’s heads if things between them go wrong.”

“Right,” Emma said, her thoughts wandering to Alyssa. Quickly, she snapped herself out of it. She absolutely could not allow herself to develop a crush on her very straight dance partner.

“Okay, honey, you can put your clothes back on,” Darlene announced, taking a step back.

“Thank God,” Emma muttered, reaching for her pants. “So… no dresses?”

Darlene laughed, the sound big and booming. “No dresses. For the Cha Cha, I’m thinking we’ll put you in some black pants and some sort of sparkly v-neck shirt. Maybe lycra. Definitely rhinestoned.”

“That I can handle,” Emma said with a wry smile, pulling her t-shirt back over her head.

“If you’re alright with it, I’d like to take the v of the top just above your bra line,” Darlene said. “I think that’s the closest we can get to what we’re doing for the guys’ Latin costumes.”

“You’re asking for my input?”

“We want you to feel comfortable in what you’re wearing,” Darlene explained. “If you’re self-conscious, it’ll show in your dancing.”

“Believe me, it already does,” Emma said.

“Look, honey,” Darlene put a hand on Emma’s shoulder. “Everyone gets scared. But you’ve got a professional partner for a reason. Trust Alyssa; it may only be her first year in a pair, but she’s real talented.”

That gave Emma pause, because she’d just assumed that Alyssa had been paired with multiple celebrities. Even her grandma hadn’t told her this was Alyssa’s first competitive season. She’d mentioned her being on the show for a few seasons, though, and so had Alyssa herself. Darlene must have seen the look on confusion on her face, because she explained further.

“Alyssa was part of the dance troupe,” she said. “Which meant she was part of the group dances and was a back-up for the bigger routines, and there in case anyone got injured, but this is the first season after her promotion to pro partner.”

“Wow,” Emma muttered. She wondered why Alyssa hadn’t told her that.

Maybe, she reasoned, Alyssa thought she already knew. But Emma hadn’t watched a lot of _Dancing with the Stars _and, when she had, she’d still been under the impression that she’d be partnered with a man. She’d tried not to give the female dancers too much thought, no matter how much her eyes had wanted to wander.

Either way, Emma suddenly felt like even more pressure was on her shoulders. It was Alyssa’s first season as one of the pro partners, so she’d obviously want to prove herself to the producers and reassure them that promoting her had been the right decision. If Emma messed that up…

Saying goodbye to Darlene for now, Emma trudged out of the studios and towards her pick-up truck. She’d been intending to grab lunch before her rehearsal with Alyssa, but maybe she should skip the food and get there early to run through some of the steps instead. Rubbing a hand over her face, Emma climbed into her truck. She let her forehead fall forward onto the steering wheel.

What the hell was she going to do?

* * *

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Alyssa said, running into the studio and practically ripping her shoes out of her bag. Everyone turned to look at her and Alyssa cringed.

“Miss Greene, so nice of you to join us,” Art, the head choreographer, drawled. “A real shame it wasn’t ten minutes ago when we were meant to start.”

“I’m so sorry,” Alyssa said again, dance shoes now on. She hurried over to the back corner to warm up, next to Shelby. “My alarm didn’t go off this morning and I was up late choreographing. It won’t happen again.”

“Alright,” Art said. “Well, now that everyone’s finally here, we can warm up.”

“Are you okay?” Shelby asked her lowly, as everyone started stretching. Alyssa only just heard her over the music.

“I’m fine,” Alyssa said. “I just should’ve restricted my choreo time again last night.”

“Yeah, you totally forgot to even set your alarm last night, didn’t you?”

Alyssa groaned, knowing she’d been thinking about Emma’s damn cover for well over twenty-four hours now. “You can’t prove anything.”

Shelby sent a shit-eating grin her way, but let her be. Alyssa finished the rest of the warm up in peace, before waving goodbye to Shelby for now and walking over to Jules – her partner for the pro dances. He gave her an easy smile which she couldn’t help but return, and Alyssa knew that he wouldn’t berate or make fun of her for being late.

They’d been friends for a couple of years now, since Alyssa had first been hired as a troupe member, and he was one of maybe five people who knew that she was a lesbian. And that was only because he’d asked Alyssa if she knew any gay people when his brother came out last spring, and Alyssa had made a bad joke that had meant she essentially outed herself. She'd been careful not to do that since.

The opening dance was Salsa-inspired, and while it wasn’t overly complicated to learn, it sure was extravagant. The season premieres tended to be this way, as the show celebrated the start of another competition in style. Alyssa just felt bad for the people who had to clean up the streamers and confetti in the commercial break. She worked hard in the rehearsal, still conscious of her misstep in arriving late.

“How’s rehearsal with Emma going?” Jules asked her, once everyone was packing away their things at the end of the session.

“Really well,” Alyssa said, grinning to herself as she changed back into her sneakers. “Emma’s apt to get a little tense, but she’s a quick learner.”

“That’s awesome,” Jules said, giving her a thumbs-up from his great height above her. “You’ve got the Cha Cha this week, right?”

“Yeah, but I think Emma’s more of a Ballroom girl so far,” Alyssa said thoughtfully. “She has good posture. We did have to switch out her glasses for contacts, though. They kept slipping and I don’t want them to fall off halfway through a spin.”

“It might help her if she can see where she’s going,” Jules agreed with a fake-thoughtful expression on his face.

“Shut up,” Alyssa laughed. “What about Natalie? How’s she dealing with it all?”

“She’s doing so great,” Jules said, his expression lighting up. “We’ve got a Tango and she’s got the steps nailed. She just needs to work on looking moody. She keeps smiling.”

“Oof, tell her to get Emma to smile,” Alyssa said. “I’m worried people will think I’m torturing her in that studio.”

“She’s probably just concentrating,” Jules shrugged. “Besides, we’ve still got, what, three days until we go live? There’s time.”

“Yeah, but we’ve only got today and tomorrow to really rehearse,” Alyssa pointed out. “Sunday’s camera blocking, and then Monday before the show is dress rehearsal. Plus, we keep having fittings and press things, so before you know it all the time’s gone.”

“Take a breath,” Jules said. “If Emma knows you’re stressing out, it’ll make _her _more stressed. Trust me.”

Alyssa took a moment to center herself. “You’re right. I just… I knew it would be a step up, but wow.”

“You got this,” Jules said firmly. “Just gotta keep your head above water.”

“Thanks, man,” Alyssa said, standing up and gathering her things. “I gotta go grab some food before rehearsal this afternoon.”

“Tell Emma we’re all rooting for her,” Jules said. “That no matter what anybody says, we got her back.”

“I will.”

* * *

Sunday was an ordeal right from the start.

Being the day before the show, Emma was already more than a little on edge, and then a crew member told her that she was next up for her spray tan. And although she had protested that she didn’t _want _a spray tan, it was apparently a necessity. Because God forbid anyone was their natural self on television. Emma had, however, managed to convince the poor soul whose job it was to spray her with the lightest shade on offer. Still, she wasn’t happy about it.

Alyssa took one look at Emma’s expression after she was allowed to put her clothes back on and leave before bursting into laughter.

“Oh sure, laugh because you don’t have to get a spray tan,” Emma grumbled.

Alyssa caught hold of her hand as she brushed past her, still giggling. “Wait, Emma, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Emma sighed, examining the skin of her forearm with mild interest.

“I’m not laughing at the tan,” Alyssa said. “I’m laughing at the horrified look on your face. I thought you knew it was part of the deal for the… paler competitors.”

“Honestly, I really should’ve seen it coming,” Emma said. “And I guess it’s my fault for literally being Casper the ghost.”

“Come on,” Alyssa said, squeezing her hand. “We’ve got five minutes until our camera blocking.”

“Right,” Emma said, nerves fluttering in her stomach. She remembered Alyssa telling her that this was when they would run their routine on the actual dance floor for the cameras, before the full dress rehearsal tomorrow. Even without an audience, it was still kind of intimidating.

She and Alyssa made their way over to the side of the dance floor in time to watch Nick and Kaylee finish up their run-through. Emma didn’t know what dance they were doing, but the two of them were pressed very close together at certain points. Emma also had no idea whether or not Nick was doing a good job, but he seemed confident enough in his movements. All she knew was that they were dancing to the Justin Bieber version of _Despacito_, so she automatically lost respect for both of them.

When they finished, Nick picked Kaylee up and spun her around. She shrieked happily, clinging on tightly around his neck until he set her back down again. Emma glanced over to gauge Alyssa’s reaction. She seemed mostly unsurprised, watching the pair with a slightly pinched look on her face. Emma had no doubts that Alyssa was more than aware of Kaylee and Nick’s… whatever this already was, even if Kaylee hadn’t actually told her yet.

“’Sup, Nolan,” Nick greeted her as he left the floor.

Kaylee wrapped Alyssa up in a quick hug. “Break a leg.”

Walking onto the dance floor felt a little like stepping into an arena. There were several cameras surrounding them – some stationary, some steadycams, and even a crane or two – and so many bright lights. It was a far cry from the studio she and Alyssa had been rehearsing in for the past two weeks.

“Okay, can we run _Mercy _from the top?” one of the crew – Emma didn’t know who – yelled.

Emma scurried into her starting position near the stairs, feeling very alone with Alyssa on the other side of the floor. She knew that she had to start the routine alone, and that Alyssa would join her very soon into the dance, but she was still terrified. Across the floor, she saw Alyssa motion for her to take a deep breath.

The music started almost immediately after, and Emma was already out of sync.

Rushing through the first couple moves to catch up, Emma found herself settling slightly when Alyssa started in her direction. She was pleasantly surprised to find that she remembered all the steps, and all the arm movements, but she still felt like a deer in the headlights.

Things were easier when she was facing Alyssa, one hand in hers and the other high on Alyssa’s back. Alyssa’s left arm rested lightly on top of Emma’s right, her hands grounding Emma where they touched her. Emma looked into her eyes to resist looking down at her own feet, seeing the encouragement in Alyssa’s expression as she stared back.

Emma spun her under her arm, wincing slightly as Alyssa’s dark curls near enough smacked her in the face. Clearly she’d been standing a bit too close this time, because Alyssa’s hair only came down to just past her shoulders and didn’t usually hit her on this particular spin. Coming back to her senses a fraction too late, Emma stumbled into the next step. Regaining control over herself by the time they hit the New Yorkers (which Emma thought was an odd name for a step), she managed to make it through to the end of the routine.

Their finishing pose involved Emma supporting most of Alyssa’s weight, an arm around her back as Alyssa was draped in front of her, holding onto the back of Emma’s neck with one hand and with her head thrown back. Emma’s free hand was in the air, pointing to the sky with what was meant to be a flourish. She forgot the flourish this time, focused solely on not dropping Alyssa.

It was very rough around the edges, but she’d done it in front of all the cameras.

Emma laughed breathlessly as she helped Alyssa back upright, pulling her into a hug before she could overthink it. Alyssa hadn’t hugged her since the first time, and Emma hadn’t wanted to push any boundaries, despite the fact that objectively there were some fairly sexy moves in the dance itself. Still, now she found herself hugging Alyssa without any worries, instantly bolstered when Alyssa hugged her back without hesitation.

Her bubble was burst when the same crew member called: “Okay, folks, let’s do it all again.”

They ended up running the dance three times in quick succession, and Emma was a sweaty mess by the end of it. Sure, she and Alyssa had run through the routine twenty times in a day before, but that wasn’t under the same pressure. Besides, Alyssa always let her have a minute between run-throughs to catch her breath. Here, there was no such luck.

After they were dismissed, Emma staggered off the dance floor and flopped down into one of the chairs that bordered it, and would be occupied by an audience member come tomorrow night. Alyssa stood facing her, hands on her hips.

“Mercy,” Emma panted. “This is me officially begging for mercy.”

“I hate to break it to you,” Alyssa said, “but once we’ve had lunch it’s back to our studio for more rehearsal.”

Emma groaned, tipping her head back. She had a feeling that Sundays would be her least favorite day of the week for the duration of this competition.

* * *

Alyssa pulled into the big studio lot at seven-thirty the next morning. She’d set an alarm for six, but she’d been awake since before then. Truthfully, sleeping at all had been a challenge, because the mixture of nerves and excitement had succeeded in keeping her up late and waking her up early. She was already on her second coffee of the day.

She checked her phone to see a text from Emma, saying that she was just setting off from her apartment. Alyssa checked the timestamp on the text and tried to work out when Emma would arrive, but then she remembered that she didn’t really know where Emma lived. It was odd; they’d spent so much time together the past couple weeks and still Alyssa didn’t know that much basic stuff about her. Instead, she’d found herself learning a lot about how Emma perceived herself and more emotionally-tied stuff like that.

She kind of preferred it this way around. Alyssa may not know if Emma was allergic to any food, or where her apartment was, but she still felt like she _knew _her pretty well already.

Deciding to wait for Emma inside, Alyssa made her way into the building, signing in at the desk and walking through the maze of halls into the main ballroom. Already, the crew were hard at work setting up for the evening’s show. The band were just taking their seats, preparing to play through all the music for the producers. Alyssa came to a halt on the edge of the dance floor to listen, keen to hear how her and Emma’s song would actually sound.

It was when the band were playing through the third couple’s song that someone tapped her on the shoulder. Alyssa spun around and grinned when she saw that it was Emma, standing there with her hair impossibly messy and her glasses on. Alyssa had kind of missed seeing her in her glasses this past week.

“Good morning,” Alyssa said, stifling a giggle when Emma just yawned at her. “Are you excited for tonight?”

“I’m sure I will be as soon as I wake up,” Emma said with a cute half-smile. “Not to mention probably sick with nerves.”

“The first show’s always the hardest,” Alyssa said. “Come on, the band’s gonna play ours soon.”

“Oh, cool,” Emma said, taking an interest as she came to stand next to Alyssa to wait.

As soon as the first few notes of _Mercy _rang out, Alyssa couldn’t help but want to dance along with it. She bumped her hip into Emma’s playfully, grinning when Emma chuckled under her breath.

“I’m not dancing before coffee,” she said.

“We’ll go to craft services in a minute,” Alyssa promised. “Then I can get coffee number three.”

“You have a problem,” Emma told her.

The band’s version of the song sounded great to Alyssa, so she simply sent them a double thumbs-up before pulling Emma to craft services by the hand. Emma only grumbled a little bit about how she should’ve known that Alyssa was a morning person, following along behind her obediently.

By nine, Alyssa was in a chair in the hair and makeup room chatting animatedly to the woman getting her ready. She kind of hated being in full makeup this early, but it was necessary for the dress rehearsal and at this point Alyssa had just learned to put up with not being able to rub her eyes for over ten hours.

She didn’t know where Emma had gone by the time she was heading to the wardrobe department, but Alyssa guessed that her makeup hadn’t taken quite as long as Alyssa’s, and she was probably wandering around the studio somewhere in her costume. Emma had mentioned something about a shirt and pants for her costume but, besides that, Alyssa had no idea what she would be wearing for the show.

“Darlene, it’s amazing,” Alyssa said, as soon as she saw her Cha Cha costume. It was gold in color, split into two pieces. The top was sort of like a slightly more supportive bedazzled bikini top with criss-crossed straps around the back, and the short skirt was designed to accentuate every shimmy of her hips. Costumes like this were very freeing to move in, especially for the Latin dances, and they had the added bonus of making Alyssa feel hot as hell. She put the costume on over her tights and dance shorts, strapping her shoes on once she was done.

“Glad you think so, honey,” Darlene laughed. “Make sure to come back and get your opening costume as soon as you and Emma are done with your dress run.”

“I will,” Alyssa promised, scooping up her street clothes (except for her hoodie, which she slipped on and left unzipped) and stuffing them into her backpack.

Dressed in her costume and with her dance heels on, Alyssa couldn’t help but feel the excitement grow within her as she bid goodbye to the wardrobe department and walked back in the direction of the dance floor. Everything was starting to feel real now. She spotted Emma sitting in one of the chairs floor-side, her back to Alyssa as she watched the first couple have their dress rehearsal.

“Are you picking up Foxtrot tips for next week?” she asked, watching the television presenter Noah Westcott glide his way across the floor with his equally pint-sized professional partner Hayden.

“Maybe a few, although I—” Emma cut herself off as she turned to look at Alyssa, eyes going wide and lower jaw dropping.

Emma blinked rapidly, standing up and facing Alyssa fully as she rubbed a hand over the back of her neck nervously. Her hazel eyes stared resolutely into Alyssa’s own, but Alyssa’s dropped to take in Emma’s own outfit.

The cut of her sparkly black shirt was approaching dangerously low, the lycra clinging to every curve of her body. Her black pants hugged her hips, the material stretchy enough to probably feel like a second skin as she danced, flaring out slightly below the knee. Dragging her eyes back up Emma’s body to her face, Alyssa noted that Emma’s blonde curls had only been slightly tamed by the hair department, leaving her hair almost as tousled as that one picture on her Instagram. The makeup they’d done for her brought out the green in her eyes – her glasses gone now and replaced with contacts – paired with a nude color for Emma’s full lips.

She looked incredible.

“Wow,” Alyssa said. “Emma, you look…”

“Are you kidding me?” Emma laughed nervously. “Alyssa, _you _look… um, suddenly I’ve forgotten what words are.”

Alyssa grinned at Emma’s lame joke. “For real, though, wardrobe did a great job with your costume. It seems… very you.”

“It’s so stretchy,” Emma said immediately. “But the pants pockets are sewn in.”

“Is that your only criticism?”

“Pretty much.”

“So… do you want to sit and watch everyone?” Alyssa asked, not really knowing what else to say.

Emma cleared her throat. “Sure.”

They didn’t say much as they observed the dress rehearsal, and every time Alyssa glanced at Emma out of the corner of her eye, Emma was looking firmly at the dance floor. Alyssa started to wonder if this costume had been the best idea after all, because Emma was nothing if not a gentlewoman and Alyssa needed her to actually be able to hold her during the dance.

After what felt like an eternity, even though they’d be the fifth of thirteen couples to dance, they were called to the dance floor for their dress run. Emma seemed to relax a little now that she had something to focus on properly, and she did a lot better than her first run the previous day. It helped, of course, that Alyssa had spent three hours after the camera blocking rehearsal making sure Emma knew the routine front to back.

The live music, too, seemed to help Emma. A few times, Alyssa thought she saw Emma almost enjoying herself as they were dancing, and it brought a smile to her face because that was all she’d ever wanted from Emma. Even during the individual side-by-side section in the bridge, Emma seemed more confident than she ever had.

After the routine was over, Alyssa pushed herself back upright, her loose hair sticking slightly to her lipstick after the final spin before the pose. Hopefully that wouldn’t be an issue tonight. She hugged Emma tightly, feeling almost like she was going to burst with pride at how far she’d come over the past two weeks.

And, sure, there were things she still needed to work on – keeping her hips loose, smiling more, and being more confident in leading Alyssa through the steps – but all that would come with time and practice. Alyssa just hoped that they’d be given the opportunity, but at least the first elimination wasn’t for another week.

As the hours ticked away throughout the day on the countdown to five pm, Alyssa could feel the growing anticipation in the air. It was almost showtime.

* * *

“Live, from Hollywood… this is _Dancing with the Stars_!”

The music was playing, the audience was cheering, and Tom Hawkins took his mark on the stage. The opening number over, Emma scurried off the dance floor and into one of the group dressing rooms with the other female celebs to get into her Cha Cha costume. There was a dresser there helping her, and Emma didn’t even have time to be embarrassed as she threw off one set of clothes and put on another.

She could hear Tom and his co-host Trent Oliver doing a comedy bit over the speakers, before introducing the three judges: Angie Dickinson, Barry Glickman, and head judge Dee Dee Allen. Emma hadn’t met any of the judges properly yet and, to be honest, she didn’t know if she wanted to. They seemed mildly terrifying, and she was already scared enough about dancing in front of them as it was.

Once she was changed, she filed out with everyone to the Sky Box to watch Noah and Hayden, who were up first. Alyssa was already there waiting for her, and Emma made a beeline to go and stand with her at the edge of the box, which overlooked the dance floor from the top of a flight of stairs.

Her heartbeat quickened in her chest at the sight of Alyssa in her costume, even though she’d been wearing it almost all day, and Emma wanted to smack herself. It was just a costume. An extremely revealing costume that made Alyssa look even hotter than she usually did, but still… just a costume.

As she watched Noah and Hayden dance, Emma couldn’t help but be grateful that she hadn’t been drawn first to open the show, or last to close it. Fifth was a good spot in the running order, according to Alyssa, because it didn’t leave too long to get anxious. Emma didn’t know what she was talking about; she was already anxious.

Already there was quite a range in scores by the time Emma would be up next. Some poor older actor had scored a measly 13 points out of 30, whereas Noah had kicked things off well and had scored three 7s to make 21. It was interesting to watch the scoring – as soon as the couple left Tom and the judges to make their way up the stairs to be interviewed by Trent, a runner would come and snatch a piece of paper from the judges and sprint off with it. Alyssa said it was so that the broadcast graphics could match the live scores.

A crew member moved Emma and Alyssa into position in front of a camera in the corner of the Sky Box, and Emma felt herself start to freeze up. Oh God, millions of people were going to watch her embarrass herself. Millions.

“When we come back, singer-songwriter Emma Nolan takes to the floor with her professional partner Alyssa Greene,” Tom Hawkins announced. “Their Cha-Cha-Cha is up next, so don’t go anywhere!”

Emma stood, transfixed by the red light at the top of the camera until it went out and she realized they’d cut to commercial break. Fuck. They’d be back on air in two minutes, and then their video package would air, and then they’d be dancing. She needed more time. She couldn’t do this. What had she been thinking, agreeing to this show?

She didn’t realize her breathing had grown shallower and faster until suddenly Alyssa was right in front of her, hands on Emma’s face as she forced her to meet her eyes.

“Emma?” Alyssa was saying, as Emma tuned back in to the real world. “Take deep breaths with me, okay?”

“I—I—” Emma gasped.

Alyssa shushed her gently. “It’s okay. You’re okay, Emma, do you hear me?”

Emma nodded, looking into the depths of Alyssa’s warm eyes and trying to focus on slowing her breathing down.

“I know you’re scared,” Alyssa murmured. “That’s okay. I’m scared too. But I’m gonna be right there with you on that floor, okay? You’re not going to do this alone.”

“Okay,” Emma managed.

“Trust me,” Alyssa said. “Trust me, Emma. I got you.”

“I t-trust you,” Emma whispered.

She felt Alyssa’s forehead knock gently against her own. “Good. Because we’re going to crush this. Are you ready to get down there?”

Emma still didn’t feel ready, but she felt a lot better than she had a minute ago. Nodding mutely, she let Alyssa take her hand and lead her down the staircase to the floor. Still on commercial break, the audience cheered for them as soon as they stepped foot onto the dance floor, and Emma felt her spirits lift a little as the adrenaline started to course through her veins.

She barely heard them come back from commercial, or Tom introduce their video package. All she was aware of was Alyssa’s hand in hers as the clips were played on the screens in the studio for the audience to watch. She vaguely registered hearing her own voice in an interview, saying something about feeling proud to be representing people who hadn’t seen themselves on the show before, but that she and Alyssa were just two people dancing together. Right now she barely remembered saying it, but she stood by it.

All too soon Alyssa was squeezing her hand one last time before slipping it from her grasp as she left to take her starting position. Emma took a deep breath, listening as the video package came to an end. She could hear audio from the filmed rehearsal earlier this week; Alyssa laughing at a self-deprecating joke Emma had made, and suddenly she felt calmer.

As soon as the music started, Emma tried to put everything but the dance out of her mind. There was so much to remember, and maybe some of it got lost along the way, but the steps were all there. Everything was a blur, but the one constant was Alyssa. She was almost always in Emma’s vision, helping her count out the beat and making her look like a much better dancer than she actually was.

Emma spun Alyssa under her arm, going back into the Cha Cha frame right after, and she could tell by the look on Alyssa’s face that she’d done that bit well. She smiled at Alyssa, who grinned back at her as they carried on dancing. Emma wouldn’t strictly say that she was having fun; she was too scared for that, but it was actually going okay.

As they hurtled towards the end of the routine, Emma doubled her efforts. She suddenly remembered that there was an audience she should be performing to, and tried her best to look past the bright lights when she had the opportunity. Her own breathing was harsh in her ears as she felt herself growing tired.

She held out her hand for Alyssa, spinning her closer and wrapping an arm around her back as they hit their final pose. Emma punched the air as the music hit its final beat, feeling Alyssa’s bare skin underneath her fingertips and feeling her face redden under the makeup instantly. They held the pose for a couple of seconds, and then everything came crashing in. Emma had just danced on live television. And she hadn’t fallen over, or dropped Alyssa, or forgotten the steps.

Alyssa pulled herself upright again, jumping up and down excitedly before throwing her arms around Emma’s neck. She was saying something in Emma’s ear, but Emma didn’t know what. All she could see was Alyssa’s dark hair in her face, and all she could feel was Alyssa’s body pressed against her own, and she kind of felt like she was on top of the world.

It was then, surrounded by over eight hundred people in the room, nearly twenty cameras, and millions of people watching across America, that Emma realized she had a crush on her dance partner.

_Fuck_.

There was no time to dwell on it, though, because then Emma’s feet were carrying her over to the judges’ table where Tom Hawkins was waiting with a welcoming outstretched arm and a beaming smile on his face. He clapped Emma’s shoulder with his hand and Emma couldn’t help but grin.

“Emma, that was so energetic!” he exclaimed, in his deep voice. “Truly astonishing. Have you got your breath back yet?”

Emma shook her head, still panting from the exertion and the adrenaline rush. Alyssa’s hand slipped into her own again, her other hand coming to hold onto Emma’s forearm as they stood side by side to await the judges’ comments.

“Now, since we’ve got a lot to get through tonight, we’re going to continue on with only asking one judge for feedback,” Tom said, which had been the case so far tonight. “Barry, let’s go to you.”

“Emma,” Barry started, leaning back in his chair between the two other judges. “What struck me the most is that you came out here and you _tried_. And, yes, your technique needs work, and you’re not there yet, but I can tell that you have it within you to be something really special. And I know there are naysayers who have had their doubts about this partnership, but I for one am loving it!”

He finished his words with a flourish, and Emma felt herself blush even more. His comments were better than she had been expecting, and suddenly a score in double figures seemed like a very real possibility. Maybe she wouldn’t even be in the bottom few as far as scoring went.

“You’ve got the Glickman seal of approval, you two,” Tom said, turning to Emma and Alyssa. “Now off to the Sky Box to await your scores. Emma and Alyssa, everybody!”

The audience cheered again and Emma, bolstered by their support, couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face as she and Alyssa made their way up the staircase and back to the other competitors. Jules, Alyssa’s partner for the pro dances, gave her a high five as she passed him, and Shelby was yelling praise at the top of her lungs. It was a little overwhelming, but in a good way.

“Emma, my darling,” Trent said, even though they’d only met once. Briefly. “First dance over. How do you feel?”

“Um,” Emma began, starting to freeze up again now that there was another camera right in her face. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alyssa glance at her in concern.

“Can I just say how proud I am of this woman right here?” Alyssa said, taking over when it became clear that Emma was lost for words. “She’s improved so much since her first lesson. She works so hard and I couldn’t have asked for a better dance partner.”

Emma stared at the floor, squeezing Alyssa’s hand in gratitude. Trent ‘aww’ed at them before turning back to face the camera.

“Let’s go get your scores.”

Emma glanced up at the monitor in front of her, seeing the judges sitting at their table with one hand out of sight on their scoring paddle. Emma’s heart thumped loudly in her chest as she waited.

Angie went first. “A really promising start. Six!”

Emma let out a breath. Six was pretty good for the first week.

“Six!” Barry yelled, revealing the number on the paddle with dramatic flair.

Dee Dee was last. “You need to improve the hip action; I could tell you were tense tonight. Five.”

The crowd booed her, and she glared at them. Emma didn’t care about the five, though, because the monitor was telling her that she’d scored 17 out of 30, which already put her above two of her competitors.

And by the time the last couple (radio host Winnie Dawson and another one of Alyssa’s close friends, Kevin Shields) had danced, Emma and Alyssa were solidly in the middle of the scoreboard. Emma almost sagged with relief against Alyssa as they took their place on the dance floor with all the other couples.

“As you know, there's no elimination this week, but voting has been open since the start of tonight’s show,” Tom announced. “The vote will close at four am ET tomorrow morning, with another voting period beginning at eight pm ET next Monday. You have five votes per voting period online, and five by toll-free phone, so use them wisely! And, remember, you can find all the voting information, as well as the numbers you need to call, on the official _Dancing with the Stars _website. Until next week, America!”

* * *

**freddie** @sapphicsamba: holy shit u guys this season of #dwts has LESBIANS

**jojo is tired** @dwtstans: @sapphicsamba *lesbian. i think alyssas a str8

**freddie** @sapphicsamba: @dwtstans honey there’s no way that girl is straight

**kara {stream sword}** @emmasnolans: OH MY GOD IM LIKE A PROUD PARENT #dwts

**alice | 32** @wooloowoo: okay but like,,, emma and alyssa have Chemistry


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO READ CHAPTER ONE. especially to anyone who left kudos, bookmarked, and/or left a comment! i love you all and i'm so so grateful.
> 
> so here's chapter two! it's marginally shorter than chapter one but it's still kind of a doozy.
> 
> promsemble people mentioned in this chapter: carrie (mary antonini's character) and elliott (jack sippel's character).
> 
> playlist!: https://open.spotify.com/user/1246304850/playlist/1dnCvdptmxNQ8rK5zbY1GU?si=M3FZYrPvRSOOmR5MU8VKIg

Chapter Two: Ballroom and Latin Week

* * *

**sweet dreams till sunbeams find you / sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you / but in your dreams whatever they be / dream a little dream of me**

* * *

“Your Ballroom frame is getting so much better,” Alyssa said, holding her hand out for a high-five, which Emma accepted, as they reached the end of their Foxtrot routine.

“Thanks,” Emma said, cheeks flushed from the two hours they’d already been dancing that day.

It was Tuesday afternoon, the day after the first live show, and they were back in their studio working hard for the two shows that were coming up. And although they’d started work on the Foxtrot – their first of two dances – last week, the main focus at that point had been the Cha Cha.

But now, Alyssa was starting to push Emma harder in the Ballroom dance. The Foxtrot was so different in nature to the Cha Cha and the Samba (the Latin dance they’d perform if they weren’t eliminated at the start of Tuesday’s show), and the shape that Emma’s body made when they were in hold with each other had to be different, too.

Emma took to Ballroom a lot quicker than she’d taken to Latin, in Alyssa’s opinion. She was still a little clumsy in her steps, but the fact that Foxtrot was generally slower helped her. To Emma’s credit, she was coping really well with all the choreo Alyssa was throwing at her. Her frame in the closed position, when she and Emma were facing each other with Alyssa’s right hand clasped in Emma’s left at her shoulder level and her left arm resting on top of Emma’s right, was improving with every run-through, and her right hand was perfectly placed on Alyssa’s shoulder blade. She seemed a lot more comfortable dancing like this, at any rate, which made Alyssa feel a little bad about what was to come in the next two hours of their rehearsal.

“That’s enough Foxtrot for today,” she said, going to fetch her and Emma’s water bottles from the corner of the room.

“But I’m guessing not the end of our rehearsal,” Emma said with a wry smile, looking up at the clock. “Seeing as it’s only four pm.”

“It’s Samba time,” Alyssa nodded, and Emma sighed.

“Ah, yes, my favorite of the hip-shaking dances.”

“Don’t let what Dee Dee said discourage you,” Alyssa said. “Considering how nervous you were, your dancing was remarkably relaxed.”

Honestly, when Alyssa had seen the way Emma had panicked before their dance, she hadn’t been sure how well the performance was going to go. But, to her credit, Emma had done an incredible job pushing it all to the back of her mind, even if she had frozen up again when Trent had been interviewing them afterwards.

“I guess,” Emma said. “Okay, let’s do it. Teach me how to Samba.”

“Okay,” Alyssa clapped her hands excitedly. “So the hip movement in Samba is a little different to the Cha Cha movement, but there’s a lot that’s pretty transferrable.”

She took Emma through the basics, pleased when she picked it up fairly quickly. It probably helped that Emma knew her a little better now and wasn’t so self-conscious in their training sessions anymore. Alyssa just hoped that it would stay like that once they actually started dancing some of the more intimate moves together.

_Speaking of…_

“Right,” Alyssa said, clearing her throat when there was only a half hour left of their scheduled rehearsal. “Next move. Samba Rolls.”

“They sound like a canape,” Emma commented. “Or maybe I’m just hungry.”

“You can go home and eat soon,” Alyssa promised.

Emma rolled her eyes playfully. “Okay, what’s a Samba Roll?”

“It… a little hard to explain,” Alyssa said. “But essentially we’re front to back, and you take my arm from behind and we do this movement—” Alyssa made a sweeping movement with her left arm, “—and we kind of lean forwards and turn to the left, shaping ourselves around to the left, back, and right as we go around the circle. It looks amazing when it’s done right.”

“I’m sure,” Emma said, looking thoroughly confused. “I just can’t picture it.”

“Wanna give it a try?” Alyssa asked.

She neglected to mention to Emma that Samba Rolls were one of the hardest moves in this particular style of dance. If Emma couldn’t get the hang of them, then she’d replace it with something else, but she kind of wanted to see what her capabilities were.

“Sure,” Emma said. “Okay, what do I do?”

“Just stand there for a second,” Alyssa said, checking Emma’s posture. “Good.”

She turned around so that her back was to Emma, both of them facing the mirror wall, and reached to grab Emma’s right hand, placing it high on her stomach through her tank top.

“Now pull me back into your front, so that my butt is on your right hipbone.”

“What?” Emma squeaked.

Alyssa paused, taking note of the way Emma’s hand was barely on her and wondering just how she could get Emma more comfortable. Because if Emma wasn’t comfortable touching her in the context of the dance, then this whole thing wasn’t going to work. She met Emma’s eyes in the mirror.

“You’re allowed to touch me, you know,” she said softly. “I know you’re trying to be polite, but this is the Samba. It’s meant to look sexy.”

“I told you I don’t know how to be sexy,” Emma mumbled.

Alyssa pressed Emma’s hand more firmly against her. “Trust me, you do.”

She needed it to be Emma who closed the distance between them; Emma who found the confidence to lead the dance. Besides, she didn’t want to freak Emma out by going too fast and overwhelming her or making her uncomfortable. No, this had to be up to her. And all Alyssa wanted was for Emma to see that she _could _actually do it.

Emma took a deep breath, and then her arm tightened around Alyssa and she pulled her backwards. They collided, hard, and Alyssa choked on her own breath as she felt the length of Emma’s warm body pressed against her from behind. Emma’s stuttered exhale tickled the skin at the side of her neck.

“Yeah, like that,” Alyssa managed, unsure why all of a sudden it was becoming harder to remember the step. “Now, um, take hold of my left forearm with your free hand, and we’re going to move them up and sort of around our heads like this…”

She demonstrated the move, seeing how Emma was playing close attention and succeeding at the first attempt. She had definitely come on in leaps and bounds since their first lesson just over two weeks ago. Alyssa was close enough to see the freckles on the side of her nose.

_Get it together, Greene._

“Now we’re both going to bend forwards at the waist as we start the steps around in a circle to our left,” Alyssa instructed, bending over until her upper body was at the correct angle. After a moment’s hesitation, Emma went with her, chest resting on Alyssa’s back. Alyssa closed her eyes for a moment.

“What now?” Emma whispered.

“Uh…” Alyssa trailed off, wracking her brain. “Oh, the footwork.”

Snapping herself out of whatever haze she’d found herself in, Alyssa set to work teaching Emma the steps. She didn’t quite get it right the first few times but, by the end of their training session, she’d got the logistics of the Samba Roll down. Now they just needed to put it smoothly into the routine, and then Alyssa knew that this Samba would shape up to be something great.

* * *

“Hey, gran,” Emma sat curled on her couch in her sweatpants, a smile spreading across her face as she heard the voice come through the line.

“You’re still alive, then?”

“Barely,” Emma laughed. “Everything hurts.”

“Two dances of very different styles,” Betsy mused. “I bet you’re using muscles you didn’t even know you had.”

“I’d say that’s pretty accurate. Alyssa says it gets easier but I’m almost ready to call bullshit on that.”

“Speaking of, how is your gorgeous dance partner?”

Emma rolled her eyes, because there was a certain lilt to her grandma’s voice. “She’s great.”

“Uh-huh,” Betsy said. “You know, for someone who you said was straight, the two of you have an awful lot of chemistry. I’m just saying.”

“You’re always ‘just saying’, gran,” Emma sighed. “Listen, I can’t let myself think of Alyssa as anything more than a friend, okay? It’s important that she trusts me.”

“I don’t think she’d blame you for having a crush on her.”

“I don’t have a crush on her,” Emma lied.

“Now I’m the one who’s ready to call bullshit,” Betsy cackled.

Emma closed her eyes. “How?”

“I know you, sweetheart,” Betsy said. “I know when you have a crush just by the way you talk.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Emma said. “Really, it doesn’t. We’re dance partners, Alyssa’s straight, and it’s just because we’re spending so much time being very close together.”

“How do you know Alyssa’s straight?”

“Well, I—” Emma faltered. “I mean, I just—”

“—Assumed?” Betsy interrupted, tutting. “Emma Nolan, I thought you were better than that.”

“It’s a defense mechanism, okay?” Emma said, a little uncomfortable. “I’m so used to girls ending up being straight that it’s just easier not to get my hopes up.”

“Honey, you’re in LA,” Betsy said. “It’s not Indiana.”

“I know,” Emma said quietly. “But even if she’s not straight, this is still her job. Technically, it’s mine, too.”

“Emma, you’re not going to get in trouble for having feelings.”

“Who said anything about feelings?” Emma countered immediately. “It’s just a silly little crush.”

“So you admit you have a crush.”

“You’re impossible,” Emma said with a laugh.

“Only on my better days,” Betsy said. “So, four days until the next live show. What’s the plan?”

“Well, tomorrow afternoon we have the camera crew in to film our video packages,” Emma said, relieved that her gran had changed the topic. “For both dances, so that will be a pain because it’s time we could be spending rehearsing, but hopefully they’ll be gone soon.”

“Do you know the routines?” Betsy asked.

“I know the Foxtrot routine,” Emma said. “I keep forgetting bits of the Samba, but we only started learning the actual routine for that one yesterday.”

“At least you’ll have Saturday if the filming tomorrow takes a while,” Betsy reasoned. “And Sunday after the camera blocking.”

“Yeah,” Emma said. “Oh, I have to get another spray tan this Sunday. Apparently they’re a weekly thing.”

Betsy laughed. “I’ve heard some of the people on the show talk about ‘Spray Tan Sundays’.”

“And you didn’t warn me?”

“I thought you knew!” Betsy said defensively.

“Everyone thought I knew,” Emma grumbled.

She heard Betsy stifle a yawn, and knew their conversation was coming to an end. “Anyway. This old woman’s got to sleep soon, but call me again tomorrow, okay?”

“If I survive the video package ordeal, I will,” Emma promised. “Night, gran.”

“Night, sweetheart.”

* * *

“Why did I get given a Quickstep this early on? And why are we also doing a Quickstep to open Monday’s show?” Shelby groaned, flopping backwards on the floor as soon as group rehearsal ended. “Marcus may be in good shape, but I’m still dragging that boy around the floor by the time we’re on the fifth straight run-through.”

“That sure is unfortunate for you, Shelbs,” Alyssa said, lying down next to her and stretching her arms above her head.

“It’s nice for some, miss ‘I’ve got the slow as fuck Foxtrot’,” Shelby said. “How is it that they’re both descended from the same fucking thing?”

“Take it up with Harry Fox, he started it all,” Alyssa laughed.

“Sure, I’ll just go grab my time machine.”

“What are we talking about?” a voice came from above them.

Alyssa looked up to see Kevin peering down at the two of them. “Time travel.”

“Cool,” Kevin said, sinking to the floor and laying his head on Shelby’s stomach.

“Your head is so heavy,” Shelby grumbled. “It can’t be your brain. Hayden got all the smarts, not you.”

“I got the height,” Kevin said proudly.

“She got all the dance ability, too,” Alyssa teased, and Kevin scowled at her.

“Watch yourself, rookie.”

Alyssa snorted. “Yeah, try that one again when Emma and I win.”

“You think Emma can win?” Kaylee asked with interest, walking over to join them.

“Of course I do,” Alyssa said. “She’s got a lot of natural ability. She just needs to get her brain and her body working together without overthinking everything.”

“And stay calm when the cameras are on her,” Shelby reminded her gently. “I saw what happened during that commercial break last time.”

“Yeah, that worried me a little,” Alyssa sighed. “She’s not used to being on live TV yet.”

“She’ll get there,” Kevin said. “You did a good job getting through to her. She trusts you.”

“How have Samba rehearsals been?” Kaylee piped up suddenly, sitting down next to Alyssa’s hip and looking at her with sparkling eyes. “Because things in mine and Nick’s Salsa rehearsals last week got pretty spicy, if you know what I mean.”

Alyssa pulled a face. “Oh, I know what you mean. And mine and Emma’s rehearsals sound nothing like that.”

“Not even a little bit?”

“Kaylee, it’s my job to teach her how to dance,” Alyssa said firmly. “There’s nothing else going on. Contrary to your belief, we don’t all have to bone our dance partners.”

“Wait, did you and Nick hook up?” Shelby asked.

“Maybe,” Kaylee said evasively. “Define hooked up.”

“Did you have sex?” Shelby pressed her.

“No,” Kaylee said. “We just made out. And maybe there was some groping.”

“Judging by your routine, I think the groping came first,” Alyssa mumbled.

Kaylee smacked her on the leg. “Shut up. He’s sweet.”

“Whatever works for you, Kayls,” Alyssa said. “I just like to keep it professional.”

“I still don’t think it’s a good idea,” Shelby said. “It just seems like a recipe for disaster.”

“We haven’t argued once,” Kaylee pointed out. “Besides, sometimes the Latin dances get a bit… tense. It’s good to have an outlet for that.”

Alyssa suddenly thought about when she’d first taught Emma how to do a Samba Roll, and her face grew warmer.

Shelby snorted. “So just masturbate like the rest of us.”

Alyssa forced herself to stop thinking about Emma, because until a couple of days ago she’d never felt the tenseness Kaylee was describing while dancing Latin and Ballroom. In nightclubs, sure, when she’d occasionally find a woman to dance with, but that was more clear-cut. Besides, she couldn’t think about Emma when Shelby had taken the conversation in _that _direction.

“Great talk, guys,” Alyssa said. “Truly riveting, but I’m afraid I have to leave suddenly.”

“Don’t go,” Shelby deadpanned. “How will we ever survive?”

“You’re an asshole, Gonzales.”

“I am. But you love me anyway.”

Alyssa rolled her eyes, getting to her feet and picking up her bag. “For some reason.”

* * *

“Foxtrot’s been going pretty well,” Emma said, keeping her eyes fixed on the man asking her questions rather than the camera pointed directly at her. She wished Alyssa was doing the interview with her. “I’m finding it easier to learn than I did with Cha Cha, anyway.”

“What did you make of the judges’ feedback last week?”

“Honestly, it was better than I was expecting,” Emma admitted. “I still don’t really know what I’m doing, so it was amazing to have the positive comments and the things I need to work on, too.”

“Okay, great,” the man said. “Now we’re going to ask you about the Samba, alright?”

“Sure.”

“So tell me what dance you have, and what song you’re dancing to.”

“Our second dance this week is the Samba,” Emma said, wondering when Alyssa was going to get there. “We’re dancing to Enrique Iglesias’ _Bailando_, which is in Spanish.”

“Do you know Spanish?” the man asked her.

“No.”

“So do you know what the song’s about?”

Emma shrugged. “I mean, not really? It’s about dancing, right?”

She saw the man exchange a look with the camera operator, but she didn’t have time to question it before Alyssa was opening the door to the studio with an apologetic grin.

“Sorry I’m late, but I brought everyone coffee?”

That seemingly distracted the two men, and Emma felt a wave of relief wash over her because Alyssa was here now and everything suddenly felt easier. She accepted the coffee cup Alyssa handed her with a grateful smile.

“You ready to shit-talk me in your interview?” she asked.

“Why, have you been shit-talking me?” Alyssa put a hand over her heart, mock-offended.

Emma nodded. “So much.”

“Jerk,” Alyssa laughed.

Emma stepped aside to watch Alyssa do her interview, glancing down at her shoes every time Alyssa so much as indirectly complimented her. She really needed to get over this crush, fast. But Alyssa’s dimple came out every time she grinned, and her laugh was completely adorable, and Emma knew that she was pretty much doomed when Alyssa’s eyes slid over to meet her own as she talked about how proud she’d been after last week’s show.

“Okay, you guys can go about your rehearsal,” the man told them. “We’ll just be getting some shots and snippets for the video packages.”

“Sure thing,” Alyssa said, downing the rest of her coffee. “Come on, Nolan, let’s warm up.”

“Ugh, if you insist, Greene.”

Alyssa stuck her tongue out as she started stretching. Emma tried not to watch her stretch too closely, because she was already struggling with her attraction to Alyssa even more than usual at the moment. Stupid Samba Rolls.

The cameras added extra pressure to the rehearsal. Emma felt it, and she was pretty sure Alyssa felt it too, if the speed of her instructions were any indication. Emma was struggling a little bit to keep up, but she didn’t want to tell Alyssa that when the cameras were on them. This was Alyssa’s first season as a pro and Emma wasn’t about to call her out during filming. Besides, maybe Emma was just feeling kind of mentally slow today.

“Emma, it’s a Volta,” Alyssa chastised her. “Not a grapevine. You cross your foot in front of the other one every time.”

“Right, right, sorry,” Emma mumbled, chewing on her bottom lip. “Damn it. I knew that.”

“It’s okay, we’ll just take it from the top.”

Emma watched as Alyssa let go of her hands to go and restart the song. Now that Emma wore contacts for rehearsal, she couldn’t fidget with her glasses, which she forgot sometimes. Instead, her hand went to rub at the back of her neck as she puffed out her cheeks.

They began the routine again, and it was the step after the Voltas that she messed up this time. Growling in frustration, Emma stopped dancing and dropped her hands to her sides. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the negative thoughts.

“I’m sorry,” Emma said again. “I really thought I had it.”

“You had it yesterday,” Alyssa said. “What’s up?”

Emma glanced at the camera. “Nothing.”

“Emma—”

“I’m fine,” Emma snapped, heart sinking at the concerned look in Alyssa’s eyes. “Please just yell at me or something, I know I’m screwing this up.”

“I’m not going to yell at you,” Alyssa said, taking a step closer.

Emma backed away, and Alyssa stayed where she was. Emma hadn’t noticed until now, but her breathing had started to get faster. She bit down hard on her bottom lip, because this couldn’t be happening again. Not when she was actually being filmed this time. To her horror, she was suddenly having to blink back tears.

“Alyssa…”

All of a sudden, Alyssa was right in front of her, hands braced against Emma’s upper arms as she searched her eyes. A second later, Emma saw her make a choice. Alyssa squeezed her arms reassuringly before turning to look over her shoulder at the two men.

“You need to leave,” she said firmly.

“But we’re due to film for another—”

“I don’t care,” Alyssa interrupted. “I’m asking you to leave.”

“If we don’t get this footage—”

“Get out,” Alyssa said, turning to face them fully and only hesitating for a second before striding right up to the camera. “Now.”

“Jesus, alright,” the cameraman said, finally putting his camera down.

The other man looked down at her, almost sneering. “Thanks for the coffee.”

Emma just watched, unable to look away as Alyssa nearly chased the two men out. Her breathing came a little easier as soon as they were gone, but she felt like the most pathetic person in the world. What kind of ‘celebrity’ couldn’t even handle a single camera and two non-threatening crew members sitting in on a rehearsal?

Alyssa shut the door behind them, the ice in her expression melting away as soon as she turned back to face Emma. She approached her cautiously, reaching out to put her hands on Emma’s arms again and ducking her head slightly to try and get Emma to meet her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” she asked gently.

Emma took a slightly shuddering breath. “I keep fucking things up for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Darlene told me it’s your first year since graduating from the troupe,” Emma said, running a hand through her hair as she tried and failed to steady her voice. She didn’t want to look at Alyssa. “It’s really important for you to prove yourself to everyone but me and my lack of talent are just holding you back.”

“Emma,” Alyssa said softly. “This isn’t about me.”

“It kind of is,” Emma pointed out. “We’re a partnership, and everyone is gonna think my dancing is a reflection of your teaching.”

“I hope they do.”

“What?”

Emma felt fingers under her chin, gently raising her eyeline up until she was looking into Alyssa’s eyes. Emma found herself wondering how Alyssa’s eyelashes were this long without makeup, which was a pretty strange thought to be having.

“Emma Nolan, you are a good dancer,” Alyssa whispered, wiping away the tears that had fallen with her other hand. “When are you going to start believing that?”

“When I can get through this routine without fucking it up,” Emma sniffed. “I’m not gonna be ready by Tuesday.”

“You’ll be ready,” Alyssa said. “I have faith in you, even if you don’t.”

Emma snorted. “You barely know me.”

“I know that you feel the music in your body,” Alyssa said. “I know that you listen to what I teach you. I know that you try your best.”

Emma just blinked at her, and Alyssa met her eyes evenly as she continued.

“I know that you’re not a morning person. I know that you call your grandmother almost every day. I know that you’re already one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met,” Alyssa said, the hand that had been wiping the tears away now cupping her cheek. “I know that you’re worried about screwing things up for me. I know that you could never do that, even if you don’t know that.”

Emma didn’t know what to do, so she just wrapped her arms around Alyssa’s waist and hugged her tightly. Her tears subsided, and she actually felt her body truly relax for the first time that day in Alyssa’s arms. So much for getting over her crush. Emma’s heart felt like it was aching, and she knew exactly why.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Alyssa squeezed her tighter. “That’s what friends are for, right?”

“We’re friends?”

“I sure hope so,” Alyssa said. “It sounds a lot better than work acquaintances.”

“It does,” Emma said, laughing a little bit. “I like being your friend.”

“Me too,” Alyssa said, gently drawing back from the hug. “And I think I have an idea to cheer my friend up.”

Emma’s brow furrowed in confusion as she watched Alyssa dash over to her phone and hit play on what appeared to be the uncut version of _Bailando_. Her confusion didn’t lessen any when, instead of joining her for the first step of their Samba routine, Alyssa just started shimmying her shoulders to the music.

The guitar melody started, and Alyssa began doing something that looked to Emma’s untrained eye like a sort of dramatized Flamenco dance. To Alyssa’s credit, she managed to keep a straight face for a while before she started grinning as she danced around the studio. It wasn’t choreographed, but Alyssa moved with grace even when she was clearly trying to be silly. Emma couldn’t stop a smile of her own from spreading across her face as she watched.

Alyssa twirled her way closer, leaping around in a way that should have been ridiculous but was still perfectly in time with the music. She held out a hand for Emma, keeping her hips and feet moving almost on the spot.

“Dance with me.”

Emma chuckled. “Isn’t that what the whole point of this is? Dancing?”

“Forget the choreography,” Alyssa said. “Just dance with me.”

Emma took her hand, and was immediately pulled into a spin. She let out a shriek that was more of a laugh, allowing Alyssa to drag her around the studio. Now that she wasn’t worried about remembering the steps, Emma fully allowed herself to listen to the song. And although she didn’t understand the lyrics, she understood the music. She could hear Alyssa humming along already as they danced, but then she started singing.

“_Yo quiero estar contigo, vivir contigo, bailar contigo, tener contigo una noche loca_.”

She drew Emma close as she sang to her, one hand in hers and the other on the small of her back as she encouraged her into a basic Samba step. Emma went with it without thinking, laughing at the dramatic way Alyssa was performing the song. She actually had a really pretty voice.

“What does it mean?” Emma asked as they continued dancing around the room. “That line?”

She wondered if she was imagining Alyssa’s cheeks reddening ever so slightly. “It’s, uh, about wanting to dance with someone.”

“Never,” Emma deadpanned.

Alyssa threw her head back and laughed. “Shut up. I’m trying to do a nice thing for you.”

“What exactly is it we’re doing?” Emma asked. “I thought we were meant to be learning Samba.”

“You _are _learning Samba,” Alyssa said. “Just because we’re not doing the choreo right now, doesn’t mean it’s not Samba. Look at you.”

Emma hadn’t really realized until now, but she had indeed been doing several different Samba steps without even thinking about it. Almost like the music had just taken control of her body. Emma knew her eyes must’ve gone wide with surprise, because Alyssa bit her bottom lip proudly.

“Holy shit,” Emma managed.

They kept dancing until the song was nearing its end, and Emma found herself – for the first time – actually _enjoying _herself as she danced. She’d felt flashes of it before, but nothing had ever felt quite like this until now. She spun Alyssa under her arm, the two of them coming back together immediately after.

“Spin me again,” Alyssa said. “And let’s try the final move of the routine like this.”

“Okay,” Emma said.

“Stay relaxed,” Alyssa told her. “Just like how you are now.”

Emma nodded, spinning Alyssa once more. As they came back together again, Alyssa’s left leg hooked around Emma’s hip. One of Emma’s hands gripped her thigh, the other supporting the small of Alyssa’s back as she dipped her backwards. The ends of Alyssa’s hair brushed the ground as she tipped her head, her spine arching into Emma.

After a beat, Emma pulled her back upright into the finishing pose, feeling Alyssa’s hands find their place on her body – one resting on her collarbone and the other on her cheek. They were almost nose to nose, breathing the same air as the song ended. Emma was panting slightly, heat spreading through her body so suddenly that it blindsided her. Both of them were silent for a long moment, and Emma wasn’t sure what to do now that there was no music.

Realizing how closely she was still gripping Alyssa to her, Emma let her go. Alyssa put her foot back down on the ground, taking a step back and pushing her hair out of her face. She cleared her throat.

“That was better,” she said, a little dazedly. “Much better.”

Emma looked at her, blinking a few times to clear her head, because all she could think about right now was the way Alyssa’s eyes had looked when they’d been so close to her own. God, her grandma was going to be so smug, because Emma had been wrong. It was more than just a silly little crush.

* * *

“You can’t tell anyone what I’m about to tell you,” Alyssa said, pacing her apartment back and forth as she held the phone up to her ear.

“I won’t,” Shelby said with a yawn. “But can you please get on with it? Marcus and I are up second for our camera blocking today and I don’t want to be late.”

“Maybe you should have woken up earlier,” Alyssa rolled her eyes.

“Listen, Greene, we can’t all be morning people,” Shelby grumbled in her ear. “What’s up?”

“I think I’m…” Alyssa trailed off, pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried to make herself say it out loud.

“A lesbian?” Shelby asked dryly. “Honey, I already know.”

“Shut up,” Alyssa all but growled. “This is really hard for me to admit.”

“Okay,” Shelby’s voice turned more serious. “Hit me with it.”

“I think I’m attracted to Emma.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Alyssa started to panic. Because admitting it made it real. She was attracted to Emma, and it was just going to make things awkward, and some of the choreography already had the tendency to make Emma a little uncomfortable. If Emma knew that Alyssa was actually attracted to her, then it would almost certainly make her even more uncomfortable.

There was a long pause before Shelby responded. “Oh, was that the secret?”

“_Shelby._”

“Okay, okay, sorry,” Shelby said. “I just… it’s not exactly a surprise to me.”

“What?” Alyssa asked, a little panicked. “Oh, God, do you think Emma knows?”

Shelby snorted. “Thankfully for you, I think she’s even more oblivious to how you feel than you are.”

“It’s not—” Alyssa sighed in frustration. “It’s just a side-effect of dancing with someone who’s theoretically your type, right?”

“Not necessarily,” Shelby said, her voice gentle.

“But I’ve never felt the tension Kaylee was talking about before, because I was only dancing with men,” Alyssa pressed on desperately. “This is the first time I’ve danced Samba with a woman, so of course it’s going to affect me, right?”

“I guess sometimes it can be like that,” Shelby said carefully. “But if you want my honest opinion, I think you’re genuinely attracted to her.”

Alyssa thought back to the dress rehearsal; to her reaction when she’d seen Emma in her Cha Cha costume for the first time. How the top had dipped low enough to make Alyssa’s mouth go dry, and how good the pants had made her ass look. She closed her eyes, swallowing hard.

“I think you might be right.”

“See, that’s more surprising,” Shelby chuckled over the line. “You admitting that I’m right.”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” Alyssa said, cracking a smile despite her best efforts. “Wait, why wasn’t me being attracted to Emma a surprise to you? You’ve barely seen us interact.”

“I saw your first dance, remember?” Shelby said. “And I know you well enough to know when you’re faking attraction for the sake of the dance. When you danced with Emma, you weren’t doing that. Plus, the way you talked about her on live television right after didn’t hurt.”

“I was covering for her when she froze up,” Alyssa protested.

“Did you mean what you said?”

“Well, yes.”

Shelby hummed. “Thought so.”

“Don’t you have a camera blocking rehearsal to get to, Gonzales?” Alyssa asked, wanting to end this conversation before she got called out for anything else.

“Don’t you?” Shelby countered.

“Our Foxtrot’s ninth in the order,” Alyssa said smugly. “So, not for a while, no.”

“Lucky bitch,” Shelby laughed, before turning more serious. “But, for real, I don’t think Emma knows a damn thing.”

“Okay, good,” Alyssa said. “Let’s just hope she stays oblivious.”

“And let’s just hope you can keep your shit together in the Samba. I, for one, can’t wait to see the routine that triggered this epiphany.”

“I’ll keep my shit together,” Alyssa said defensively. “I’m a professional.”

“You’re also a human who experiences physical attraction,” Shelby said lightly. “The two aren’t mutually exclusive.”

“I’m hanging up now.”

* * *

Emma didn’t enjoy her second spray tan any more than she had enjoyed her first.

Not only was there the tan itself, but Emma had to get to the studios earlier than she usually would in order to receive this gift. Alyssa wouldn’t be here for a while still, and now Emma had a lot of time to kill. Before her spray tan, she’d been to a final fitting for both her costumes this week, but that had been the only fun part of her day. Darlene and the rest of the wardrobe department really were wizards.

Emma sat in a chair near the back of the floor-level seating area, watching the other couples run through their Ballroom and Latin routines. She wasn’t looking forward to dancing six routines without a break, that was for sure. The only real entertainment had been watching Marcus Matthews collapse into Shelby’s arms at the end of the third Quickstep run-through, and then seeing his face as he was told they were going straight onto the Cha Cha.

But that had been a while ago, and watching everyone else rehearse just made her feel negative about her own dances. So she decided to attack her own self-esteem in a different way, and opened the twitter app on her phone. Scrolling through her timeline, she gradually became aware of a whole bunch of retweets about _Dancing with the Stars_. Emma was a little surprised to see that they were almost all retweeted by one Betsy Nolan. To her knowledge, her grandmother didn’t actually use twitter all that often.

**connor **@lgbtango: finally the same-sex partnership #dwts deserves!! i know who im voting for

**hoe **@timewives: listen i dont watch #dwts as a rule but if emma nolan is gaying it up i might just have to stan

**kara {stream sword} **@emmasnolans: update it is five (5) days later and im still yelling about emma’s hip action lord have MERCY

Emma stifled a laugh at that last one. She didn’t even know how her grandma had found the tweet, given it wasn’t even hashtagged, but she appreciated the request to stream her latest single even if she wasn’t sure this Kara had seen the same performance Emma had given. She hit ‘like’ on the tweet.

Regardless, this was probably enough twitter for one morning. Emma put her phone away, staring off into space for a few moments before someone came to sit next to her. She turned to see Carrie, one of the other celebs, in the seat to her right. Carrie gave her a bright smile.

“Want some company?”

“Sure,” Emma shrugged. “I thought you and Elliott had done your camera blocking already?”

“He’s getting his spray tan right now,” Carrie explained. “Poor, pale man.”

Emma laughed. “I think the pro dancers should be more used to it by now than I am.”

“So,” Carrie started conversationally. “How’s the past week been?”

Emma thought back to her near-breakdown on Friday. “Great. It’s been great. How about you?”

“Honestly? A real challenge,” Carrie admitted. “The Viennese Waltz is okay because it’s closer to what I’m used to, I guess, but I feel a little out of my depth with the Samba.”

“Wait, you have the Samba for Latin Night, too?” Emma asked with interest. “Thank fuck I’m not the only one struggling with it.”

“It’s a bitch, right?”

“You have no idea,” Emma groaned. “It was only yesterday that I started being able to consistently get through the routine without any major mistakes.”

“I just couldn’t get the hang of Samba Rolls,” Carrie said. “Elliott ended up having to take them out, I was so bad.”

“Oh the Samba Rolls are fine,” Emma said. “I can do them okay, it’s just the Bota Fogos I keep messing up, for some reason. I just know Angie is going to rip the shit out of my ball changes.”

Carrie’s eyes were wide. “Samba Rolls are, like, one of the toughest moves.”

“Wait, what?” Emma’s brow furrowed. “They are?”

“Yeah, dude,” Carrie sounded impressed.

“Alyssa never said…”

“Maybe she didn’t want you to psych yourself out,” Carrie reasoned. “When I was first doing skating competitions my mom wouldn’t tell me what the hardest moves were because she knew I’d build them up in my head and be more scared about them.”

“Huh,” Emma said. Maybe Alyssa knew her better than Emma had given her credit for.

“Trust me, if you can do Samba Rolls, you can do anything,” Carrie said, leaning back in her seat.

Emma picked at a loose thread on the bottom of her shirt. “Oh, I don’t know—”

“_Anything_.”

Laughing to hide the fact that the conviction in Carrie’s voice, despite them not having said more than twenty words to each other before now, made her happier than she cared to admit, Emma ducked her head slightly.

“God, now there’s two of you.”

“What?” Carrie’s forehead creased amusedly.

“Oh, nothing,” Emma said. “It’s just I feel like I’m getting the same aggressive validation from you as I am from Alyssa.”

“Good,” Carrie said, her dark eyes sparkling. “Alyssa’s right.”

“Which would make you right by extension.”

“I don’t make the rules.”

Emma shook her head, feeling a wave of fondness for this woman who was in the same boat as her. “Are you nervous about the first elimination?”

“Shit scared,” Carrie said honestly. “I’m used to competing, and I’m _still _shit scared.”

“That makes me feel a bit better,” Emma said. “But ballroom dancing and figure skating aren’t the same thing.”

“Keen observation.”

“Shut up,” Emma knocked her shoulder into Carrie’s. “You know what I mean.”

“I do know,” Carrie laughed. “You’re just fun to mess with.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Emma said. “Is this something I’m going to have no choice but to get used to?”

“It sure is,” Carrie said brightly. “I kind of need a friend who’s not my dance partner around here, and I think you might, too.”

* * *

Alyssa stopped in her tracks when she saw Emma laughing with Carrie, the two of them sitting huddled together and watching Natalie and Jules’ camera blocking rehearsal. For a split-second, a flash of jealousy spiked through her. Then Alyssa remembered that Carrie was straight, and married to a man, and that it was dumb of her to feel jealous when she should be happy that Emma was making friends.

Still, she liked being the one to make Emma laugh like she was now.

Pushing any negative thoughts aside, Alyssa made her way around the floor to where Emma was sitting. She poked Emma’s shoulder gently, stifling a giggle when she jumped. Emma turned to look at Alyssa, her face lighting up even more and making Alyssa’s cheeks feel warmer all of a sudden.

“Alyssa, hey.”

“You ready for this mini-marathon?” Alyssa asked with a wry smile.

“Nope,” Emma said cheerfully. “But let’s do it anyway.”

“Nice spray tan.”

Emma scowled at her. “Carrie, do you want to swap dance partners?”

“No,” Carrie laughed. “And I don’t think you want to, either.”

“I suppose it would be an ordeal,” Emma mused, taking a drink from her water bottle before standing up. “It’s much easier to keep things as they are.”

_If only she knew how true that was._

Alyssa bit back a smile when Emma’s hand slipped into her own, the two of them walking down to the edge of the dance floor to wait for Natalie and Jules to finish their Latin dance. Emma tilted her head to the side.

“This seems slower than the Latin dances we’ve done.”

“It’s a Rumba,” Alyssa explained. “It’s kind of slow and sexy rather than quick and sexy.”

“I see,” Emma said. “It looks… intense.”

Alyssa hummed in agreement. She wondered suddenly how well Emma would take to the Rumba, given how different it was to anything she’d taught her so far. Then she immediately pushed that thought out of her head, because she felt like she might die if she had to teach Emma how to Rumba.

Before long, she and Emma were taking to the floor to run through their Foxtrot. Thankfully, that went pretty well, and Emma didn’t seem to be tired after three runs of the routine. Alyssa knew the Samba would be tougher to get through.

“Great, can we cue _Bailando_?”

Alyssa and Emma both hurried into their starting positions at the crew member’s instruction, and Alyssa hoped that Emma could just stay relaxed. She needn’t have worried, though, because Emma had never danced the routine better. The only time she’d danced better, period, was on Friday when they’d just been free-dancing to the full song.

All of the dancing with no break seemed to take its toll by the time they were finishing the final run of the Samba, however, because Emma almost overbalanced as she pulled Alyssa up into their finishing pose. Alyssa’s hand, that usually rested on Emma’s collarbone, grabbed a handful of Emma’s shirt to keep her from toppling backwards, which had the added effect of pulling them even closer together than usual. Their noses brushed together, and heat flared in Alyssa’s belly as she felt Emma’s breath against her lips.

They let each other go very quickly.

* * *

“Coming up later in the show, we’ll find out what caused these moments in rehearsal!”

The screen showed Nick bench pressing a laughing Kaylee, and then Marcus lying on the floor while Shelby kicked one of his feet. Then the picture changed to Alyssa, stalking towards the camera. “Get out. Now.”

They cut to commercial break, and it felt to Emma like every person in the Sky Box turned to look at her and Alyssa. There was chatter in the audience below, a murmur rippling through the hundreds of people in the studio. Emma tried to ignore it all. She could tell all of her competitors were curious as to what the hard look on Alyssa’s face had been about, but nobody said anything. She saw Shelby narrow her eyes at Alyssa, who was studiously avoiding her gaze.

Great, that clip was all they needed. Emma had been naïve to think that it wouldn’t be used for drama. She felt Alyssa’s hand on the small of her back, the touch warm and comforting even through her shirt and waistcoat, and relaxed a little. It didn’t matter what they put in the reels. Everyone knew that the show liked to mislead the audience. Once they saw the full context… well, actually, Emma didn’t know if that would end up being much better.

Emma had to wait longer to dance this week, which she wasn’t too thrilled about, but watching everyone else dance helped to distract her. Plus, she felt pretty confident about the Foxtrot – or, at least, a million times more confident than she’d felt about her first dance on the show.

Carrie scored a 23 for her Viennese Waltz, to Emma’s delight, and was currently just ahead of Marcus and Shelby’s very energetic Quickstep on 22 points out of 30. On the opposite end of the scale, Jeremy – the actor rapidly approaching his sixties – scored only marginally better than he had last week on 15. There was quite a range on the scoreboard by the time Emma was up next.

Descending the stairs hand in hand with Alyssa, after managing to keep herself together this time when the camera had been in their faces, Emma couldn’t help but smile when the audience cheered for them again. This week she almost felt like she could fully acknowledge their presence, instead of pretending that it was her and Alyssa and nobody else.

Once they came back from commercial, Tom Hawkins introduced them. “Next up to dance is Emma Nolan and her professional partner Alyssa Greene. They got off to a good start last week with their Cha-Cha-Cha, but how will they meet the challenges of the Foxtrot? Let’s take a look at them in training this week.”

And there it was. Emma’s interview from Friday about how she thought the Foxtrot was going well, and about the judges’ feedback from last week, overlaying clips of her and Alyssa rehearsing their routine. Then, the music track changed to something with more tension in it, and subtitles came up at the bottom of the screen to help the audience to decipher their muffled voices.

“Emma—”

“I’m fine.” A pause. “Please just yell at me or something, I know I’m screwing this up.”

“I’m not going to yell at you.”

Emma rolled her eyes as she watched the clips back, trying to hide her discomfort. The whole thing hadn’t even been about the Foxtrot. It had been about the Samba routine. Alyssa met her eyes with a vaguely amused expression, before brushing her thumb over the back of Emma’s hand and letting go to walk over to her starting position and drape herself on the ground by the huge fake tree the crew had brought in as a set piece. On the screen, the drama continued.

“Alyssa…” the Emma on the screen whimpered.

Screen-Alyssa turned to look at the camera. “You need to leave.”

“But we’re due to film for another—”

“I don’t care. I’m asking you to leave.”

“If we don’t get this footage—”

“Get out. Now.”

The reel cut back to an image of Alyssa in her interview that same day.

“Emma’s got this.”

In the pause between the end of the video package and the start of the song, Emma took one very long deep breath. She had this. The band started playing the intro, and Emma walked as gracefully as she could over to where Alyssa was pretending to be asleep against the trunk of the tree. There wasn’t much of a ‘story’ to the routine, other than Emma waking Alyssa up from her dream and dancing with her, but it still apparently required a little bit of acting.

Emma grazed her hand over Alyssa’s cheek, and Alyssa’s eyes fluttered open. Holding out one hand with the other folded behind her back, Emma bowed low. Alyssa slid her hand delicately into Emma’s as the singer began the first line. Once Alyssa was on her feet, the dance began in earnest.

Emma felt almost at peace as they glided across the floor, Alyssa’s pale pink dress brushing against her with every movement. Her hair was gathered in an elegant bun which Emma knew had taken a while for the hair and makeup department to achieve, a few loose tendrils framing her face. Emma thought she looked impossibly beautiful.

_Dream a Little Dream of Me _carried on, and Emma let the music wash over her. She loved this song a lot, and had been very excited when Alyssa had announced they’d be dancing to it. The band was doing an excellent job, too, and Emma resisted the urge to close her eyes as she and Alyssa neared the end of their dance.

To finish, Emma escorted Alyssa back to her tree, bowing again as Alyssa resumed her ‘sleeping’ position against the tree before backing away as the final notes of the song rung out. Almost immediately, the audience erupted into thunderous applause.

Alyssa sprang to her feet, holding her arms out in a clear invitation for a hug. Emma lightly looped her arms around Alyssa’s waist, trying and failing to hide a relieved grin in her shoulder. She’d done it. And, in her opinion, she’d done it pretty well.

“Well done,” Alyssa whispered in her ear, before releasing her.

The two of them walked over to Tom, who was holding a hand over his heart with an easy grin on his face.

“Ladies that was beautiful,” he said. “Classic and timeless.”

“Thank you,” Emma said quietly, gripping Alyssa’s hand tightly as the nerves began to set in, because now they were in front of the judges.

“We’ll go to Angie for her comments.”

Angie beamed. “Emma. That was beautiful. The section where you two shadowed each other was just slightly out of sync, but everything in hold was gorgeous. It was such a simple story, but executed very well. Great job, both of you.”

Emma breathed a sigh of relief, making brief eye contact with Barry as her gaze drifted from Angie. Barry gave her a reassuring smile, nodding his head a little as if to agree with what Angie had said. Emma looked down at the floor, pursing her lips in an attempt to hide the proud smile that threatened to split her face in two.

“Off you two go to the Sky Box,” Tom excused them.

They weren’t off the hook yet, though, because Trent near enough cornered them as soon as they were within range. He wrapped an arm around Emma’s shoulders, and Emma saw Alyssa try to stifle a giggle at the no doubt taken-aback look on her face.

“Hi,” Emma said.

“Emma, Alyssa, that was gorgeous,” Trent said. “It reminded me of a play I once saw about lesbian elves.”

Emma choked. “That’s good, I think?”

Alyssa just shrugged helplessly, like she didn’t know any more than Emma what the hell Trent was talking about. Emma felt a little bad for Alyssa, getting lumped into the ‘lesbian elf’ category with her.

“Oh, it was an incredible play, but that’s beside the point,” Trent said, turning to address the camera. “I am being told in my earpiece that the scores are ready, and to not mention Julliard if I value my job.”

Emma’s eyebrows shot into her hairline, but Trent just smiled winningly, so she turned her attention to the monitor where the camera was fixed on the judges table. Nerves set her on edge, but Emma tried to hold onto the positive feedback she’d just gotten.

“Seven,” Angie said, revealing the number on her paddle, and Emma’s jaw dropped.

“Everything Angie just said,” Barry grinned. “Seven!”

“There was a little too much rise and fall for a Foxtrot,” Dee Dee said. “But your frame was impeccable. Seven.”

“Oh my God,” Emma murmured, hardly daring to believe it as a total score of 21 came up on the graphic. Alyssa hugged her from the side excitedly, and Emma felt at least four of the dancers in the Sky Box pat her on the back. She’d gotten sevens from everyone, even Dee Dee Allen.

“If you want to see Emma and Alyssa dance their…”

“Samba,” Alyssa interjected.

“Samba,” Trent repeated, “tomorrow night, then the information you need to vote for them should be coming up on your screens right now. Look, TV magic!”

And even though she’d been struggling with the Samba for most of the week, Emma would be lying if she said that she didn’t want to perform it. She just hoped that her and Alyssa would have the votes.

* * *

**leigh **@moveimgay: has anyone heard from @emmasnolans since emma’s grandma rted that one tweet about emma’s hips

**alice | 25 **@wooloowoo: @moveimgay: oh my fuckin god she fuckin dead

**hoe **@timewives: yo that foxytrot was so beautiful and gay im cryin in the club rn

**jojo is tired **@dwtstans: @timewives dude its a foxtrot

**vote emlyssa **@letsgolesbians: @dwtstans they just said theyre crying do you think they can type atm

**ocean **@zazzhands: okay but When will i be woken from MY slumber by a soft butch in a waistcoat?? alyssa is living the gd dream #dwts

* * *

Alyssa was told mid-way through Tuesday’s dress rehearsal what next week’s theme was going to be, and what style of dance she and Emma had been given. She was thinking about it as she ate her lunch, mulling over song ideas. Provided they got through the first two eliminations, they’d be dancing a Waltz, so that already narrowed down what they could dance to, as the song needed to be in 3/4 time.

The theme of week three’s show, though, meant the song would have to be almost up to Emma. Guilty Pleasures Week, they’d told Alyssa, so she needed to find out if any of Emma’s guilty pleasures could link to a song that was perfect for the Waltz. It was already giving her a headache.

Alyssa was proud of herself, though, because she’d managed to act fairly normally around Emma in her Samba costume so far today. She’d been dressed in what were probably the same black pants as last week, paired this time with a white tank top under an unbuttoned blue shirt. And she’d looked hot.

Alyssa’s own costume was admittedly fairly similar to her Cha Cha costume, the main difference being that it was blue instead of gold, but it was still very sparkly and more than a little revealing. Alyssa didn’t mind, though. She was used to ignoring the way most of the straight men looked at her, and she was used to the genuine compliments she got from the women and the gay men. And Kevin and Jules.

What she wasn’t used to, though, was the warm feeling in her stomach at the sight of Emma’s flushed cheeks whenever she looked at her. It was probably just embarrassment on Emma’s part, because she still wasn’t used to seeing Alyssa in her Latin outfits, but the blush made her look even cuter all the same.

There she was now, meandering over to her with Carrie by her side, both of them in costume. Carrie was wearing a very short silver dress, her hair hanging loose past her shoulders, her head thrown back in laughter at something Emma had said. To her annoyance, Alyssa felt the irrational twinge of jealousy again.

“Hey, Emma,” she said, trying to distract herself from it as soon as Emma was within earshot. “What are your guilty pleasures?”

“What?” Emma looked completely taken-aback, which was understandable. Carrie snorted.

“It’s the theme for next week,” Alyssa explained. “I need a basis that I can pick a song from.”

“Oh, um,” Emma furrowed her brow, deep in thought. “I don’t know. Sleeping in late?”

“But you’re not guilty about that,” Alyssa teased.

“You’re a musician,” Carrie said. “Any music-related guilty pleasures?”

Emma immediately groaned, and Alyssa knew that Carrie may just have struck gold. “Spill.”

“Don’t laugh,” Emma said, burying her face in her hands. “The_Twilight _soundtrack.”

Alyssa laughed.

Emma glared at her weakly. “It’s good music.”

“I’m not arguing with you on that,” Alyssa said. “It’s just not what I was expecting you to say.”

It had given her an idea, though.

“I’ll leave you two to it,” Carrie said. “Break a leg tonight.”

“You too,” Emma said, turning her full attention to Alyssa as soon as Carrie was gone. “Please don’t use this information against me.”

“I would never,” Alyssa said. “The show, however, might.”

Emma groaned again. “Wonderful.”

* * *

The rest of the day was spent nervously counting down the hours and minutes until five pm. Emma kept having to remind herself that, as far as the elimination at the top of the show went, her fate had already been decided. The half that came from the judges’ scores had been locked in the previous night, and the second and final voting period had ended at four am ET that morning. Emma and Alyssa had a combined score of 38 out of 60, which put her comfortably in the middle of the leaderboard. The unknown part was how the viewers at home had used their votes.

As soon as the show started, it was like the tense air that had been palpable all day suddenly tripled, because somebody was actually going home. Thirteen pairs had been working hard on their routine for the past week, but only twelve would actually get to perform them. It was a rough deal, in Emma’s opinion.

It was during the first commercial break – as all the couples were being positioned on and in front of the grand staircase – that Emma felt herself begin to panic a little. Not like she had before her first dance last week; not to the point where her brain was starting to shut down, but enough to make her fidget from foot to foot as she waited for them to come back on air. She didn’t know what to do with her hands.

Alyssa craned her head around to look at her, sending a reassuring smile her way. “It’s alright.”

“I’m sorry if we get voted out,” Emma said quietly. “You’ve been incredible these past few weeks.”

“It’s not over yet, Nolan,” Alyssa murmured. “Come here.”

She took hold of Emma’s hands, securing them around her waist as she turned back around to face the front. Emma was standing directly behind her, heart starting to pound loudly in her chest at the warmth of Alyssa’s skin beneath her hands. Alyssa’s own hands were resting on top of hers, keeping her there as she stroked her thumbs over Emma’s skin.

“Welcome back,” Tom said as soon as they were back on air. Trent was at his side, looking solemn.

“It’s that time, unfortunately,” he said. “The time where we say goodbye to our first couple of the season.”

“Everyone here should be very proud of what they’ve achieved,” Tom said. “And now, in no particular order, the first couple through is…”

The tense mood music really wasn’t helping, Emma thought dimly, as she tried to focus on her breathing. The pause went on for far too long, and she couldn’t look at anyone. Instead, and hoping she wasn’t crossing a boundary, Emma hid her face in Alyssa’s loose mane of hair from behind. Almost immediately, one of Alyssa’s hands came up to gently hold the back of Emma’s neck. Emma swallowed as she felt Alyssa’s fingers rub the skin there, a habit Emma herself had picked up when she wanted to feel more comfortable.

“Nick and Kaylee!” Tom said.

Emma heard their excited yells, and she heard the audience cheer for them, but she kept her eyes closed and didn’t move a muscle. She’d congratulate them later.

Trent spoke next. “Also dancing again tonight are… Natalie and Jules!”

This went on for what seemed like forever, until there were only a few couples left. Emma’s hands started trembling against Alyssa’s stomach, and she felt Alyssa’s fingers scratch the back of her neck in an attempt to keep her calm, but it wasn’t working nearly as well as Emma wanted it to. God, she hadn’t realized until this moment, but she really wanted to stay in the competition.

“The next couple safe is…” Trent paused for what felt like a lifetime. “Emma and Alyssa!”

Emma let out a ragged gasp, her forehead dropping onto Alyssa’s shoulder as relief washed over her. Alyssa turned around in her arms and hugged her tightly. Emma felt her shaking, too. They’d done it. They’d made it through the first elimination.

* * *

In the end, it was Jeremy who was eliminated, which didn’t exactly come as a surprise to Alyssa.

Still, she couldn’t describe the feeling of relief that had hit her as soon as her and Emma’s names had been called. Or the flash of blind panic that had followed soon after when she’d realized that this meant they would be performing first. Jeremy had been first in the original running order, but now that he was no longer in the competition…

They only had two minutes of a commercial break to get their heads back in the competition. Alyssa set her hands on Emma’s shoulders as the rest of the dance floor cleared and the scenery was set up for their Samba.

“You’re going to crush it.”

“I’m going to crush it,” Emma repeated to herself.

“Stay relaxed,” Alyssa reminded her. “Like when it was just us dancing, remember?”

Emma nodded. “Yeah.”

All too soon, the video package was playing. Alyssa watched Emma’s interview with interest, seeing as she had missed it when it was actually being recorded. To her credit, Emma only looked slightly uncomfortable on camera as she explained what style she and Alyssa would be dancing, and to which song.

“Do you know Spanish?” the man asked her from off-camera.

“No.”

The man paused. “So do you know what the song’s about?”

“I mean, not really?” Emma said with a shrug. “It’s about dancing, right?”

Alyssa bit her lip to stop herself from laughing, because Emma genuinely didn’t have a clue. Which had been a relief to Alyssa when she’d stupidly started singing the chorus to her during their ‘free dancing’ session after the crew had been forcibly ejected from the room. Technically, she hadn’t lied. She’d just… omitted what the rest of the line, and the song in general, was about.

Clearing her mind as the video package ended, Alyssa took a deep breath. Going first was tricky, but Alyssa knew Emma could do this. The band started the song, and then everyone else disappeared from view as Alyssa focused solely on Emma and the beat of the music.

The dance itself was mostly a blur of footwork, and Emma’s hands on her, and a kind of heat that Alyssa hadn’t ever felt dancing choreography until now. Her eyes were locked on Emma’s, the moves that she had come up with in her apartment a far cry from what they felt like now. She was definitely in trouble.

Thankfully, the Samba Rolls were near the end of the routine, so it didn’t matter so much that Alyssa’s brain started to malfunction at how closely they were pressed together. Emma, to her credit, did the correct footwork, and although it wouldn’t be winning any awards, she carried off the move pretty well.

Alyssa was panting slightly by the time they hit the final pose of the dance, her leg hooked tightly around Emma’s hip and drawing them together in a way that made her entire body feel like it was overheating. One of her hands was cupping Emma’s cheek, the other splayed over her collarbone. Emma’s own hands were clutching her tightly, one supporting her back while the other gripped Alyssa’s thigh. Her heart rate sped up as she realized how close together their lips were.

_Stop it._

The real world crashed back in as Alyssa suddenly registered the clapping and cheers. Clearing her throat sharply, and feeling Emma’s hands immediately leave her body, Alyssa put her foot back down on the ground and released her hold on her partner. Her dance partner. Her _friend_.

Oh, she was so screwed.

This time, it was Dee Dee who was permitted to give her full critique.

“That was a very ambitious routine, Alyssa,” she said. “And it was well-danced by the pair of you.” She turned to address Emma, now. “There’s lots of room to grow, of course, but this was a very solid Samba indeed. The hip action, too, was a lot better. I get the feeling Alyssa’s been drilling that into you.”

Barry, who had been taking a delicate sip of water from his glass, literally spat it out. Alyssa could hear howls of laughter from the audience, and she knew right then that she was never going to live this down. Emma’s face was redder than Alyssa had ever seen it, and she knew her own face was flushed, too. Dee Dee, to her credit, remained oblivious.

“What?”

“I think it’s time you two escaped to go and rejoin everyone else,” Tom said, looking like he was trying his best to hold things together.

Trent, to Alyssa’s surprise, chose not to comment on Dee Dee’s word choice. Alyssa wondered if maybe he’d been warned not to by the people in his earpiece. Instead, he simply congratulated them on a ‘splendid’ dance, while Jules wolf-whistled from outside Alyssa’s punching range.

The scores came in: Seven, seven, and a six from Dee Dee. 20 in total which, given how Emma had struggled at the beginning of the week’s training and how quickly she’d had to get her act together tonight, Alyssa was more than happy with.

Going first had its advantages, too, like being able to relax and watch everyone else dance. And if Alyssa made sure to keep a respectable distance between her and Emma, then she convinced herself that it was what was best for both of them.

* * *

**vote emlyssa **@letsgolesbians: CAN WE REWIND TO THE MOMENT MS DEE DEE ALLEN IMPLIED ALYSSA HAS BEEN DRILLING EMMA BECAUSE ID LIKE TO MAKE A FORMAL COMPLAINT

**single corn chip **@drizzlybear: i dont know wtf a samba is but that was uhhh very hot #dwts

**ocean **@zazzhands: @drizzlybear: its a latin dance, i can link you to a very informative page if you want

**single corn chip **@drizzlybear: @zazzhands no thats ok im not here for the dancing im just here for the gay

**ocean **@zazzhands: @drizzlybear you know what thats completely fair

**freddie **@sapphicsamba: WAIT MY @ CAME TRUE WAHT THE FCUK

**leigh **@moveimgay: guys im serious has anyone heard from kara i think that dance killed her

**not kara **@emmagreene: @moveimgay im alive. barely.

**leigh **@moveimgay: @emmagreene wait why do u have a new account

**not kara **@emmagreene: @moveimgay do you seriously think i can thirst on my other account?? emma’s grandma FOLLOWED ME

**leigh **@moveimgay: @emmagreene RIP

**alice | 24 **@wooloowoo: okay but remember how they were holding onto each other during the elimination?? nobody touch me nobody look at me if thats deadass gonna be Their Thing

* * *

“Hang on, grandma, I’m getting another call,” Emma said, a confused frown spreading across her face. She hoped it wasn’t the label; she was too tired to talk to them this morning.

“You sure you’re not just trying to get rid of me?”

“As long as you understand that I have no control over what Dee Dee said, or why she said it,” Emma sighed. “Then I’m sure.”

Betsy cackled. “How many complaints did the network get?”

“I didn’t ask.”

“Alright, then, call me tomorrow?”

Emma smiled. “Of course. Bye, gran.”

“Bye, sweetheart,” her grandma said. “All the best for the results show tonight.”

Emma switched to the incoming call. “Hello?”

“Emma, hey.”

It was Alyssa. Sitting up straighter in bed, Emma cleared her throat self-consciously.

“Hi. Is everything alright?”

“What? Oh, everything’s fine,” Alyssa said. “I just had an idea.”

“And it couldn’t wait until this afternoon?” Emma asked with a chuckle.

“Not if I want to start choreographing this morning,” Alyssa said. “So, we have the Waltz next week.”

“Oh, wow,” Emma said. “That sounds nice and easy.”

Alyssa laughed. “You won’t be saying that for long.”

“No, don’t tell me that,” Emma groaned. “Or I might just have to suddenly get injured and have to withdraw from the competition.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Alyssa said confidently. “Anyway, I have a song idea to run by you. Since it’s meant to be your guilty pleasure.”

“Okay, hit me.”

“_A Thousand Years _by Christina Perri,” Alyssa said excitedly. “It’s the right time signature for waltzing, and it’s on the _Twilight _soundtrack.”

“Yeah,” Emma breathed. “That… that sounds perfect.”

“Awesome,” Alyssa said. “I’ll get to work on the routine now. Thanks, Emma!”

Emma felt slightly dazed. “You’re welcome.”

The line went dead, and Emma dropped her phone down next to her on the bed. She knew deep down that it was just for the competition, but there were love songs that got to her, and then there was _A Thousand Years_. Emma had never felt that way about anyone in her life, but she wanted to. That song encapsulated all that she could ever want in a relationship, and she was going to dance a Waltz to it next week.

Emma found herself wondering if the songs Alyssa picked held any significance to her, like this one would to Emma. Maybe she should actually look up what the lyrics of _Bailando _meant. Picking up her phone again, Emma searched for the translation.

“Oh,” she said, reading through them. In a way, she’d been right in thinking the song was about dancing.

The song, however, was also very much about sex.

* * *

For the past few seasons, Alyssa had watched as the elimination shows happened, and her friends turned into nervous wrecks. Until now, the most Alyssa had been required to do in a results show was be a part of the professional group dance. Now the shoe was on the other foot, and she was one of the people turning into a nervous wreck as the results were announced.

This Wednesday night show was a little different to the elimination that had come the previous day. The results were more drawn out, and some singer or other was performing right in the middle of it. The end result was the same, though. One couple would be going home.

Half the pairs’ fates would be revealed, including one couple that was in the bottom two of combined scores and votes and therefore ‘in jeopardy’, and then the other half would have to wait until after the musical guest had performed to find out whether or not they were safe.

Alyssa waited, one hand holding Emma’s over her midriff and the other behind her on the back of Emma’s neck, feeling very much like she was experiencing deja-vu in the same Samba costume she’d been wearing during last night’s elimination. Emma’s face was once again hidden in her hair, and Alyssa was almost grateful for the tension in the air surrounding the results, because it meant that she could pretend that it was the same tension that she was currently feeling.

Four couples had been announced as safe already, including Winnie and Kevin, and Alyssa knew there was only going to be one more couple announced safe before the first pair in jeopardy were revealed. It was Tom’s turn to speak, and he had a penchant for pausing so long it was almost cruel.

“The next couple who will return next week,” he said, “is…”

Alyssa took a deep breath, chewing nervously on her bottom lip. She wished she was able to be the one hiding her face in Emma’s hair, but she had to be the strong one, because Emma was shaking like a leaf. Alyssa couldn’t blame her. This was excruciating.

“Emma and Alyssa!”

Alyssa stopped herself from swearing in relief, but it was a close call. Instead, she covered her mouth with both of her hands, tipping her head back and to the side so that it was resting on Emma’s shoulder. She felt Emma’s chin hook over her own shoulder, her warm cheek pressing into Alyssa’s as she exhaled shakily, hugging her from behind as the spotlight on them went out.

They’d done it. Emma’s fans had gotten them through the first two eliminations. Alyssa purposefully had been avoiding twitter recently, not wanting to see any homophobic bullshit that may be in her mentions or on her timeline, but it seemed like the whole country wasn’t against two women dancing together, at any rate.

Because Alyssa knew that Emma had the talent. She just hoped that they continued to have the votes.

* * *

**Josh **@JoshFarnsworth69: What the fuck is this gay agenda #dwts are trying to push on us. Not happy!!!

**Betsy Nolan **@pwrtothegran: @JoshFarnsworth69 Go fuck yourself Josh.

**kara {stream sword} **@emmasnolans: MY FAVE MUTUAL [quoted tweet from @pwrtothegran: @JoshFarnsworth69 Go fuck yourself Josh.]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!! the next dance is one of mine and dani's faves so stay tuned :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woooooooo here we go folks it's the chapter containing the dance the fic was named after so you know it's gonna be SOFT
> 
> fr dani and i have been crying over this chapter since we first started planning the fic
> 
> thank you so so much to everyone who's read this so far, it means The Absolute World
> 
> promsemble people mentioned in this chapter (albeit briefly): Jess (Jerusha Cavazos' character) and Kyle (Joomin Hwang's character)

Chapter Three: Guilty Pleasures Week

* * *

**time stands still / beauty in all she is / i will be brave / i will not let anything take away / what’s standing in front of me**

**every breath / every hour / has come to this**

* * *

“You know, when you said you wanted to research the context of this week’s dance, this isn’t what I had in mind.”

Emma just smirked, handing Alyssa the bowl of popcorn to take through to the living room area of her apartment. “It’s a rite of passage for everyone our age.”

“Emma, I’ve managed to go my whole life not seeing _Twilight_,” Alyssa complained. “Why are you ruining that for me?”

“Because I refuse to suffer through it alone.”

“Fine, but only because it’s Guilty Pleasures Week,” Alyssa said, flopping down on the couch and setting the bowl of popcorn next to her.

Emma sank down onto the couch on the other side of the bowl. “No, the _soundtrack _is a guilty pleasure. I genuinely don’t like the movies.”

“Then why are we doing this? Besides me finally learning where it is you live?”

“I, well…” Emma fumbled as she tried to come up with an excuse that didn’t give away the fact that she just wanted to spend more time with Alyssa. “I just thought it would be fun.”

Her words sounded lame even to her own ears, but Alyssa just rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “I’m picking the movie next time,” she said.

“Fine,” Emma said, looking down at her hands as she tried to hide a smile.

_Next time?_

The popcorn didn’t last them that long, and Alyssa discarded the empty bowl on the coffee table before leaning back into the couch cushions with a sigh. She looked a little tired, but Emma couldn’t exactly blame her for that. They’d been waltzing nonstop all afternoon, and Alyssa had also gone to her morning group rehearsal with the rest of the pro dancers today, to perfect the routines to open each show. Apparently, the main show would be opened by a very silly and energetic Charleston which featured Alyssa and Jules as the main partnership, and the results show by a Tango. All in all, it sounded like a lot of work.

This week’s routine was Emma’s favorite by far. Alyssa had been right about the Waltz not being easy, but it came to Emma far quicker than even the Foxtrot had. The song, too, she connected with in a way she hadn’t with any of the others. According to Alyssa, it showed. Emma was wondering if maybe this would end up being their best score so far. If maybe they could even get an eight from one of the judges.

“It’s so obvious that he’s a vampire,” Alyssa pointed out, drawing Emma’s attention back to the movie. “Why can’t everyone see that?”

Emma shrugged. “Suspension of disbelief?”

“Like, not even _you’re _that pale.”

“Thanks,” Emma grumbled.

Alyssa placed a hand on her knee apologetically. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it, you do have a point,” Emma managed, the minimal contact having an embarrassingly immediate effect on her heart rate. Alyssa looked at her, resting her head on the back of the couch. Emma swallowed. “Shouldn’t you be paying attention to the movie? You know, since you’ve never seen it and it’s very important research.”

“I’ve seen all I need to,” Alyssa said. “My ex tried to get me to watch it, you know.”

“Oh?” Emma cleared her throat, hoping to God that she was appearing to act normal. “A fan of the books?”

“No, she was just a bit obsessed with Kristen Stewart,” Alyssa shrugged, and then everything went silent.

_She_.

Alyssa’s ex was a woman. Alyssa had dated a woman in the past. Did this mean…

“I, um,” Emma struggled to find the right words. “Do you… I mean, you like women?”

Alyssa’s eyes were wide, like she hadn’t meant to let that slip out, but she nodded slowly. “I’m—I’m a lesbian. Um… not a lot of people know.”

“Right, yeah, totally,” Emma mumbled, eyes blinking rapidly behind her glasses. She couldn’t believe how stupid she’d been in her previous assumption. “I won’t say anything, don’t worry, I would never—”

“I’m not in the closet,” Alyssa said quickly. “Not anymore. I just… it’s hard, in my profession, because people expect the men to be the gay ones. I don’t know how it would affect my career, if people knew. So I just… don’t tell people if they don’t directly ask me. Most people just assume I’m straight.”

Emma winced. “Yeah.”

“Did you? Assume I was straight?”

“Honestly? I did,” Emma sighed, running a hand over her face, because Alyssa was not holding back in her curiosity. “Pretty much this whole time I’ve just thought you were an unfortunate straight woman who got stuck being paired with me because you were newest.”

Alyssa laughed, the sound full-bodied and unrestrained, and it was both the most reassuring and distracting thing on the planet. Emma bit down on her thumb, her cheeks reddening for what felt like the millionth time in front of Alyssa.

“I didn’t get stuck with you, I promise,” Alyssa said, once her laughter her died down enough. “And, for what it’s worth, I’m really glad it’s me who’s your dance partner.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes.”

Emma sucked in a quiet breath. “I’m really glad, too.”

“It’s much more fun dancing with a woman,” Alyssa said simply, finally turning her attention back to the movie. “Don’t you think?”

Emma thought back to her hands on Alyssa’s hips, and Alyssa’s smile as she’d held out her hand to cheer Emma up with dancing, and Alyssa’s leg wrapped around her as they breathed the same air. Her stomach swooped dangerously, and she hoped Alyssa hadn’t somehow gained the ability to read minds in the last few minutes.

“Yeah,” Emma said, voice only slightly unsteady. “It is.”

* * *

“Have you seen this?”

Alyssa blinked rapidly at the phone Kaylee had just shoved into her face. All she could see was white; the screen was that close to her eyes.

“What exactly is it that I’m looking at?”

“Twitter!” Kaylee said, turning the phone back to herself. “The show’s hashtag was trending during all three broadcasts and there’s still a bunch of tweets coming in now!”

“Cool,” Alyssa said. “But what does this have to do with me?”

“And people call _me _stupid,” Kaylee rolled her eyes.

“You’re not—”

“Alyssa, a pretty big portion of these tweets are about you and Emma,” Kaylee barrelled over her. “Like, more than for any other couple.”

“Oh,” Alyssa said, her stomach twisting. “Well, I guess the network got the controversy they wanted.”

Kaylee looked up from her phone with a sympathetic expression. “I know it’s not ideal. But, Alyssa, there’s a lot of positive stuff on here. I’ll read you some.”

“Fine,” Alyssa sighed, knowing Kaylee was going to read them no matter what she said.

“Okay, here’s a good one. ‘I can’t believe it’s taken until now to feature a same-sex partnership. Props to the show for doing this.’,” Kaylee said, a slight frown creasing her forehead. “Well, I guess that one misinterpreted the show’s intent a little bit. Oh, how about this one? ‘As a lesbian, I’ve never been shown that I could dance like that with another woman. Emma and Alyssa’s Foxtrot made me feel like I belong.’ See? You’re making a difference.”

Alyssa felt her cheeks heat up a little. “We’re just dancing.”

“Dancing’s a universal language,” Kaylee said with a shrug. “It speaks to everyone. It has an effect on people. _You’re _having an effect on people.”

“I bet some of those people are mad, though,” Alyssa guessed.

“Yeah,” Kaylee said quietly. “They are. But they’re being drowned out by the positivity.”

“Emma mentioned her grandma being supportive on twitter, I think,” Alyssa said, trying to remember what exactly Emma said her grandma had replied to some homophobe or other.

“Wait, I need to follow her,” Kaylee said. “What’s her username?”

“I don’t know,” Alyssa laughed. “Just search her name.”

“Whatever, Shelby and I will find her account later,” Kaylee said. “Oh, speaking of Emma, does she… does she know?”

Alyssa’s mind flashed back to the previous evening and her accidental admission. “Know what?”

“The real reason she got paired with a woman?” Kaylee’s voice was hesitant, and Alyssa sighed heavily.

“If she does, it’s not through me,” she said. “I don’t think she knows. And I don’t want to be the one to tell her.”

“Why not? If anything, I think you _should _be the one to tell her,” Kaylee put a hand on Alyssa’s arm. “Don’t you think she deserves to know the score?”

“Of course I think she deserves to know,” Alyssa said immediately. “I just don’t want to see the hurt in her eyes when she finds out her sexuality is being used as a gimmick.”

“It’s your sexuality, too,” Kaylee reminded her carefully.

Alyssa ran a hand through her hair. “Yes, but the network doesn’t know that. It’s her they’re exploiting. Not me.”

“And eventually she’s going to find that out,” Kaylee said. “The pro dancers all know about it. Which means other people already know it. There’s only so much time before Emma’s going to hear it in passing.”

“You’re right,” Alyssa groaned. “I just… I don’t want her to get hurt. Half the reason I asked to be her partner in the first place was so that she didn’t get hurt by this.”

“What was the other half?”

Alyssa narrowed her eyes at the far too innocent smile on her friend’s face, but she knew Kaylee would be able to see through it if she lied. “Okay, so maybe I wanted to dance with another woman instead of being paired with a man. Sue me.”

“How is it?” Kaylee asked, sounding genuinely interested. “Dancing with a woman?”

“Even better than I thought it would be,” Alyssa bit the inside of her mouth in an attempt to stop herself from smiling too wide.

“Okay, but is that because it’s a woman, or because it’s Emma?” Kaylee asked, leaping to the side when Alyssa went to backhand her. “Too slow.”

“Shut it, Klein,” Alyssa said hotly. “I don’t know what you’re implying.”

Kaylee just laughed. “You’re so full of shit, Greene.”

* * *

Friday afternoon was day two of Waltz rehearsals, and it was already far too close to the live show for Emma’s liking. And yes, she had pretty much learned the routine already, but having two days less to practice than last week was terrifying even if there was only one routine to learn this time.

Which was why she was a little confused when the first song Alyssa put on when they started their rehearsal wasn’t _A Thousand Years_.

“Alyssa. I’m no expert, but I don’t think we can waltz to _Eye of the Tiger_.”

“That’s because we’re free dancing right now,” Alyssa said with a grin, setting her heels aside and starting to jump around in time with the music.

Emma laughed. “Why?”

“Because I can tell you’re getting stressed,” Alyssa said simply, pointing at her as she pirouetted. “And because it made you smile the last time we did this.”

“We have the crew coming in today to film our video package,” Emma protested, but she still slid her hand into Alyssa’s and spun her again.

“And we’ll be ready for them,” Alyssa promised. “But for now… how’s your air guitar?”

“Definitely better than yours.”

Alyssa gasped, mock-offended. “That sounded like a challenge.”

“Maybe it was,” Emma said, laughing when Alyssa dipped her.

It was like nothing had changed. Even though, in the back of Emma’s mind, she knew things had changed for her because now that she knew Alyssa was a lesbian, it framed things a little differently. But Emma wasn’t naïve enough to think that Alyssa being a lesbian meant that she felt the same way. First and foremost, they were friends and dance partners. Emma’s feelings for Alyssa didn’t change that, and so she just tried to enjoy their relationship for what it was.

Everything would be so much easier that way.

“Beat this, Nolan,” Alyssa said, pushing Emma away from her and lip-syncing along to the words.

The best way Emma could describe the way Alyssa was moving around the room would be ‘power-skipping’, one foot hitting the floor on each beat, and yet somehow she made it look like both the most graceful and the most ridiculous thing in the world. At the end of the first chorus, she spun on one foot, keeping going until the music stopped and she dropped to her knees as the words “of the tiger” rang out through the studio.

“Okay, no, I need to document this,” Emma muttered, dashing back to her backpack and fishing her phone out of the front pocket.

She opened up Instagram, clicking to add to her story and holding her thumb down on the record button as Alyssa carried on with the song. Emma wasn’t sure where she was getting the energy from, if she was honest, because she’d likely already been dancing the Charleston for at least two hours today. Emma didn’t post a lot on her insta story besides the occasional cover, but she found herself recording Alyssa all the way through to the end of the next chorus.

“You guys, I’m learning so much about waltzing right now,” she said, watching Alyssa and trying to hold back a giggle when she pointed at her again as the chorus was nearing its end.

Instead of spinning, this time Alyssa started charging towards her. When she clearly deemed herself close enough, Alyssa’s knees hit the ground and she slid across the floor. But Alyssa had apparently misjudged how far she would slide with that kind of momentum, because the next thing Emma knew, they were both in a heap on the ground. The song carried on playing.

“Shit,” Alyssa groaned. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” Emma managed, extricating herself from their tangle of limbs and getting to her feet. She held out a hand to pull Alyssa up. “Are you?”

Alyssa blew some hair out of her face. “Nothing bruised except my ego. I really thought I had that slide under control.”

“She’s beauty, she’s grace, she’ll take out your legs and knock you flat on your face.”

Alyssa shoved her gently. “Have you uploaded the video of me trying to kill you?”

“Not yet,” Emma said. “I can delete it if you want.”

“What? No, upload it,” Alyssa said. “It’s slapstick gold.”

Emma snorted, but uploaded the video to her story all the same. “Should we start waltzing before one of us gets hurt for real?”

“Might be for the best.”

* * *

**leigh **@moveimgay: uhhhh has anyone else watched emma’s insta story

**freddie **@sapphicsamba: @moveimgay if that’s what their rehearsals consist of i have Questions

**vote emlyssa **@letsgolesbians: miss greene what is you DOING?? hope theyre both ok skdsjkdj

**kara {stream sword} **@emmasnolans: okay but emma hasn’t posted on her story in like 2 weeks and this is what she comes back with,,, much to think about

**not kara **@emmagreene: NO BETSY DON’T RETWEET THAT

* * *

“Breathe, Emma,” Alyssa said with a laugh. “It’s a Slow Waltz, not a Viennese.”

“You know I still don’t really know the difference.”

Alyssa rolled her eyes, making minute adjustments to Emma’s frame. “Clue’s in the name. Take your time with the steps.”

“Okay,” Emma said, taking a deep breath and relaxing her shoulders.

“Much better,” Alyssa praised. “The Viennese Waltz is a bit more upbeat, I guess. The Slow Waltz, or just ‘Waltz’, is… more romantic.”

She didn’t quite meet Emma’s eyes as she said it, adjusting the position of her head gently. Placing her hands back into position for their ballroom hold, Alyssa finally chanced a glance at Emma, who was watching her carefully.

“Noted.”

They kept dancing, but Alyssa couldn’t stop thinking back to her own words. The Waltz _was _romantic, and although she’d done her best with the choreography to capture that without making Emma uncomfortable, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the steps were missing something. Or maybe she was just berating her own abilities.

It was distracting her during the ten minute snack break they always took, and she knew Emma could tell. Emma always seemed to be able to tell on the rare occasion that Alyssa was badly distracted, but she never pressed the issue. Alyssa didn’t know whether she was grateful for that, or whether she wanted Emma to ask her about it.

Alyssa didn’t know a lot about what she wanted around Emma.

“So, my grandma’s still fighting the good fight over on twitter,” Emma said conversationally. “Smiting homophobes left and right.”

Alyssa laughed despite herself. “Will I ever get to meet her?”

“Hopefully,” Emma said. “I’m trying to get her to fly out for one of the live shows, but she needs to find someone to take care of her cats because she doesn’t want to leave them in a shelter.”

“Well, she’ll have plenty of opportunities,” Alyssa said confidently.

Emma looked down at her feet. “You sound so sure. Even if our scores are improving, I doubt the two lesbians would be America’s favorite partnership.”

“Well, people are certainly talking about us, according to Kaylee.”

“I’m still not really sure why the show decided to have a same-sex couple this season specifically,” Emma said. “I mean, they’ve definitely had gay men compete before, and they didn’t pair them up with other men.”

Alyssa swallowed harshly, closing her eyes. “I know why.”

“Alyssa?”

She opened her eyes again to see Emma looking at her with a confused expression on her face. Alyssa chewed on her bottom lip, wondering if this was the moment she was meant to tell Emma everything. She didn’t want to. But the thought of Emma finding out through someone else made her stomach twist uncomfortably, and Alyssa knew that she had to be the one to break it to her.

“Before the season started, all of the pro dancers were called into a general meeting with a couple of producers,” she started. “At the end, they brought up the number of women versus men in the competition, and mentioned that they wanted to pair you with a woman. They said that you were, and I quote, ‘well-known for being a homosexual’, and so their reasoning for pairing you with another woman was to cause controversy and boost ratings. Just publicity. They didn’t take into account the fact that you probably wouldn’t have wanted to be paired with a guy in the first place.”

Emma was silent, and Alyssa found herself spilling the rest.

“I, um, I didn’t know you at all. Hadn’t even heard of you, actually,” she said apologetically. Emma waved her off, and she took a breath and continued. “But the way they talked about you being gay, like it was unnatural… I knew that I had to protect you in any way I could, because I didn’t want them to use you as a spectacle. And if they’d have paired you with someone who was actually straight, then who knows what kind of angle they would’ve spun to cause drama? Maybe successfully, too. The fact that I was keen to dance with a woman as opposed to a man didn’t hurt, but mainly I just… I wanted to make sure that it was _me _on that dance floor with you.”

The longer Emma stayed quiet, the more apprehensive Alyssa became. Maybe she’d just made a colossal mistake in telling her. Maybe this would mess up Emma’s concentration too badly two days before they were meant to waltz on live television. Maybe—

“Okay,” Emma murmured, breaking Alyssa’s inward spiral.

“What?”

Emma let out a slightly shaky breath, meeting Alyssa’s gaze. “If that’s really what they think, then let’s prove them wrong. Let’s show them that two women dancing together like they’re in love is the most natural thing in the world.”

Alyssa felt her heart beating loudly in her chest, because the intensity in Emma’s eyes was unlike anything she’d ever seen before. It was utterly captivating, and she suddenly felt like she couldn’t breathe.

“I know it’s the day before camera blocking,” Emma said. “I understand that. But, Alyssa, I want you to make this the most goddamn romantic Waltz there’s ever been.”

“Alright,” Alyssa breathed, nodding slowly. Her mind was already buzzing with ideas. “I can do that.”

With their break over, Alyssa got to her feet and held out her hands for Emma to take. She walked backwards to the middle of the studio, eyes fixed on Emma’s as she ran through the current routine in her head. There were some sections in closed hold that she could change, to bring them closer together and give them more eye contact than a closed frame allowed. Maybe she could have Emma stay close as she dipped her at the end. Maybe she could take some creative liberties with hand placement when they were out of hold.

“Right,” Alyssa said. “Let’s start by changing the first section over by the judges’ table. You’re still going to do the same steps, but I’m going to turn so that I’m facing the other way with you looking at me over my shoulder.”

She turned around and crossed her arms over her waist, reaching behind her for Emma’s hands again. She took a moment to get Emma’s steps in her head, that she would now be shadowing, and then they tried it. Emma’s face was visible to her over her left shoulder, eyes steadily meeting her own as they danced, and it was like the tone of the routine instantly shifted.

“We’re out of hold here,” Alyssa said thoughtfully, as they reached another section of the dance that she could improve. Until now, they’d been facing each other with one arm wrapped around the other’s waist as they spun slowly, gliding around the dance floor. “How about we do this instead?”

She took one step closer to Emma, cupping her jaw with one hand. Emma’s face was so close to her own like this, their foreheads almost touching. Emma brought her own hand up to cup Alyssa’s face, too, the two of them just standing there for a moment.

“Other arm still out to the side?” Emma whispered.

Alyssa tried to kickstart her brain again, which had come to a screeching halt as soon as she’d taken that step towards Emma. “Yeah. Um. So, instead of both my feet being to the side of yours, it might be best for just one of them to be.”

“So one of my feet steps between yours?” Emma asked, voice still low.

“Try not to step on my toes, Nolan,” Alyssa joked weakly.

Emma just smiled, and Alyssa’s eyes flickered down to her lips. What she wouldn’t give to just close the distance and… No. Alyssa took a step back, dropping her hand from Emma’s face and tapping her own chin with a finger as she tried to think of what other bits of choreo they could adjust.

Once she was satisfied, it was time to try it with the song. Alyssa hit play, the opening piano notes coming softly through the studio’s speakers, and then the dance begun. And, right from the start, it was unlike anything Alyssa had ever experienced while dancing. Emma was moving so effortlessly across the floor, never putting a foot wrong, feeling the music in her whole body. She was _leading_.

Alyssa looked into her eyes whenever the choreography allowed, seeing a serenity she hadn’t been expecting staring back at her. This was the most committed to the routine that Emma had ever been, and it was the most Alyssa had ever _felt_, and—

Forehead pressed against Emma’s in the final dip that ended their new routine, with her hands buried in Emma’s hair, Alyssa’s brain finally caught up to what her subconscious had been trying to tell her all along.

She had feelings for Emma.

* * *

Darlene looked at Emma critically. “We’re going to need to get you smaller pants.”

Emma just nodded. “Yeah, my jeans are starting to feel a little loose.”

“Dancing for hours each day starts to have this effect on most people,” Darlene said. “And some of the guys’ shoulders get broader as they get more muscled from doing the lifts. Of course, the athletes don’t change shape that much at all.”

“I guess they already have that level of fitness,” Emma mused. “Me, however? I’ve definitely felt a difference.”

“You’re starting to feel stronger now, right?”

“Yeah,” Emma said. “It’s kind of nice.”

“Look at you, ready to sweep a lady off her feet,” Darlene announced. “Even moreso with this costume, if I do say so myself.”

Emma looked down at herself. “Well, the black pants are a bit same-old,” she teased. “But I really like the shirt.”

Darlene swatted her arm. “I can put you in hot pink Hammer pants.”

“You’d be a coward if you didn’t.”

“I’ll remember that,” Darlene said. Emma, despite herself, felt a flicker of fear.

She cleared her throat. “What’s the plan for Alyssa’s costume, by the way?”

“Oh, no, honey,” Darlene smirked at her. “That’s confidential. You’ll find out tomorrow just like everybody else.”

“But—”

“Listen, it probably won’t give you as much of a heart attack as the Cha Cha one did,” Darlene said, and Emma felt herself blush furiously. “Or, at least it’ll be a different kind of heart attack.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Emma mumbled.

Darlene smiled winningly, knowing she had the upper hand. “Uh-huh.”

“Am I free to go now?” Emma asked, fiddling with the collar of her white button-up.

“Yes, go get that spray tan, girl,” Darlene laughed.

Emma scowled.

After the horror of the spray tan was over and done with, Emma still had a little bit of time to kill until Alyssa got to the TV studio for their camera blocking session. Carrie had already been and gone, since she was opening this week’s show, so she didn’t even have anyone to talk to. Instead, she decided to call her grandma.

Betsy picked up after the second ring. “Hi, dear.”

“Hello, internet crusader,” Emma said, sinking down into a chair on the upper seating area, level with the Sky Box and looking down over the railing to the dance floor below.

“I take my duty as your grandmother very seriously,” Betsy said. “Besides, people are morons.”

“I love you, gran,” Emma smiled. “I don’t tell you that enough.”

“I love you too, sweetheart. How’s the Waltz going?”

Emma let out a slow breath. “Really good, actually. I, uh, I think it’s our best dance yet.”

“I remember waltzing with your grandfather at our wedding,” Betsy said, her voice sounding far away. “God, he couldn’t dance for shit. But I loved him all the same.”

“I miss him,” Emma mumbled. “I kind of wish he could see me doing this.”

“Me too.” There was a soft sigh on the other end of the line. “I won’t be able to get over to you until week six, I’m afraid.”

Emma swallowed. Despite Alyssa’s confidence, she wasn’t sure she’d still be in the competition three weeks from now. Especially with what she’d learned the previous day from Alyssa. “That’s okay.”

“I’ll come and see you regardless of what happens.”

“Okay,” Emma said. “Are you voting for me, by the way? You know you get ten votes in total every week.”

“Nope, can’t say that I am.”

“That’s fair,” Emma laughed.

Her grandma laughed, too. “Of course I’m voting for you, idiot. Five by phone, five online. I know how the Internet works.”

“Clearly. I keep seeing tweets on my timeline that I’m pretty sure I was never supposed to see.”

Betsy just cackled.

“You’re probably giving a bunch of teenage girls aneurysms,” Emma said. “They don’t tag me in their tweets for a reason.”

“Twitter is a public forum,” Betsy defended. “I just retweet what I like the look of.”

Emma pursed her lips, but didn’t say anything. Thankfully, she spotted a mane of dark hair out of the corner of her eye and realized that Alyssa had arrived and was talking to Kevin by the side of the dance floor downstairs.

“Alyssa just got here, I have to go,” she told her grandma.

“Okay, honey. Break a leg tomorrow.”

“Love you, gran.”

* * *

Alyssa, having just finished the dress run of the Charleston, flopped down onto a chair in the female pros’ dressing room. God, she was tired. And she still had the routine itself, plus the rest of the live show to get through today. Rubbing her temples, Alyssa didn’t notice the presence of someone else in the room with her until a metal water bottle was being offered to her.

She looked up to see Emma, holding out the bottle with a sympathetic expression on her face. “Though you might be thirsty.”

Alyssa’s eyes dropped to the crisp white shirt of Emma’s costume – the top few buttons undone – and the untied black bowtie covertly secured to it, and she swallowed. “I guess I am.”

She took the bottle from Emma’s outstretched hand, drinking from it and being careful not to spill any on her costume. Once she was done, she handed it back to Emma.

“Thanks.”

“No problem,” Emma said, perching on the table next to Alyssa. “Can I admit something to you?”

Alyssa’s brow furrowed. “Yes, of course.”

“I’m stupidly scared about our dance tonight.”

“You know the steps,” Alyssa said encouragingly. “I know we changed them a couple days ago, but you were foot perfect today.”

“I’m not scared of forgetting the routine,” Emma said. She took a deep breath, scratching a blunt nail on the wooden surface of the table. “I’m scared that we made it too…”

“Gay?”

Emma snorted. “Stupid, right?”

“Em, look at me,” Alyssa said, only realizing when Emma regarded her with surprise that she hadn’t used that nickname for her before now. “It’s not stupid to be nervous about how a whole country is gonna react to something. Truth be told, I’m a little scared, too. But I also know why we’re doing this routine, and that’s more important to me than any fear I might be feeling.”

“That’s a good way of looking at it,” Emma said quietly. “I think it’s helping, actually.”

“Good. Because I know I’m not _out_, but what we’re doing tonight is still important.”

“It is,” Emma said. “And, for the record, it doesn’t matter that you’re not out publicly. You’re still going to be dancing with me out there, like that, for everyone to see.”

Alyssa felt herself blushing a little. “Yeah, I guess I am, aren’t I?”

“I love the modified choreo,” Emma said honestly. “I asked you for the most romantic Waltz ever, and you managed it pretty much immediately. Have I ever told you how incredible you are?”

“I could stand to hear it any time,” Alyssa shrugged, and she knew she was definitely blushing now.

Emma chuckled a little. “So many of the others came up to me after our dress rehearsal to say how much they loved the routine.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, Carrie even said it was the gayest and most beautiful thing she’d ever seen, and she comes from the world of figure skating,” Emma grinned crookedly. “So I’m pretty sure that was the biggest compliment she could’ve given us.”

Alyssa’s stomach plummeted. “Oh.” She cleared her throat. “I didn’t know you guys were that close.”

“We’re not, like, _close_,” Emma shrugged. “I think she just likes to make people feel validated. Plus, it’s nice having someone to talk to who really gets it, you know.”

“Right,” Alyssa said, gritting her teeth and hating herself for the jealousy she was feeling. “Someone who gets it.”

“Wait, no, I didn’t—” Emma’s eyes were wide, and her hand landed on top of Alyssa’s on the table. “I didn’t mean…”

Alyssa smiled tightly. “It’s okay, Emma. You’re more than allowed to have friends other than me.”

_It just hurts when you’re clearly into them._

“I just meant that Carrie understands what it’s like to be learning all these dances at what feels like a breakneck pace,” Emma hastened to explain. “You’re literally the most amazing dancer I’ve ever seen, and it’s terrifying dancing with you even though I know I’m not expected to be anywhere near your level. Sometimes it’s nice to talk about stuff like that with someone who feels the same way. Like, we’re good in our own spheres, but ballroom dancing isn’t our usual arena.”

She looked so earnest, and Alyssa felt herself melting a little bit. Emma’s thumb was rubbing circles on the back of her hand, and it was making butterflies flutter in her stomach. “I get that. I mean, I guess there’s some stuff I can only really talk to the other pros about.”

“You’re still my favorite,” Emma said softly, and the butterflies got even worse.

Alyssa swallowed hard. “Do you… are you into her? Not that I care, I just…”

“Straight and married really isn’t my type,” Emma said with a laugh, seemingly oblivious to the relief that washed over Alyssa in that moment. “No, we’re just friends. And she’s like that with everyone.”

“Cool,” Alyssa managed. She spoke again before she could stop herself. “So, what _is _your type?”

Emma froze, almost imperceptibly. Alyssa did, too, because she was struggling to believe she’d really just asked that. It had only taken two days of knowing she had feelings for Emma to slip up and potentially ruin everything.

“I… um, I mean…” Emma stuttered, but anything she was about to say was cut off when Shelby, Kaylee and Hayden all came bursting into the dressing room, talking excitedly amongst themselves. Emma pulled her hand back from Alyssa’s like she’d been burned, and Alyssa’s skin was left feeling cold.

“Hey, Emma,” Kaylee said brightly, the three girls finally noticing that the dressing room hadn’t been empty.

“Hi,” Emma said quickly. “I was just leaving.”

Alyssa wanted to tell her to stay, but she didn’t have an excuse good enough. Instead, she simply watched as Emma hopped off the table and slipped out the door into the hall, ignoring Shelby’s questioning look and wondering whether she wanted to know the answer to the question she’d asked.

* * *

Emma stood in the Sky Box during a commercial break, watching the crew quickly setting up for the next dance. It was incredible, the speed with which they moved, in perfect harmony with each other. Emma almost felt like it was a dance in itself.

Laughter pulled her attention from the dance floor below, and she looked over her shoulder to see Alyssa joking with Kevin and Hayden Shields. Trent was there, too, wheezing and wiping his eye at something Kevin had just said. Emma let her eyes trail over Alyssa’s costume, still not quite believing that’s what Darlene had put her in for their Waltz.

In an alternate universe, it could have passed for a wedding dress, and that fact was doing all sorts of weird and terrifying things to Emma’s heart. She looked down at her own outfit, and then back to Alyssa, wondering if Darlene had designed these costumes simply to fuck with her. Alyssa’s hair fell in soft curls, held back from her face by a braided crown style. Her dress was soft and floaty, her arms left bare by the shoulder straps. The hem of the dress wasn’t tattered, per se, but the edge had a roughness to the cut that was perfectly imperfect in every way.

God, she looked so beautiful.

Kevin noticed her staring, and Emma quickly looked away. She didn’t know how obvious her feelings were to anyone else, but she’d rather not have Alyssa’s friends asking her questions she wasn’t ready to answer. Not after the question Alyssa herself had asked earlier.

Emma was about ready to smack herself, because when Alyssa had asked what her type was, she had almost replied with ‘you’.

And wouldn’t _that _have been a huge mistake.

Luckily, Emma had been saved from trying to come up with a bullshit answer by the arrival of the others, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to rely on things like that all the time. So, from now on, she had to be extra careful with what she said around Alyssa.

Before she knew it, the crew were setting up for her and Alyssa’s routine. The stage itself was fairly bare, but the fog machine had been brought out and the lights were set so that the stage had a silvery glow. On the digital screen behind the grand staircase, the image of a starry night was projected. Emma looked at it in wonder, not having had a lot of time in the dress rehearsal, feeling the excitement and nerves surge through her as their video package played and the fog swirled lightly around her feet. The crew had been careful to provide the right atmosphere without actually hiding their footwork from the judges, which Emma actually appreciated. She’d worked hard on her footwork for this dance.

The band started playing the song, and then all Emma could see was Alyssa. The music flowed through her body like water, and Emma was powerless to do anything but let Alyssa’s eyes ground her feet to the floor instead of letting herself float away. She let herself go completely, and suddenly it was just her and Alyssa, waltzing by moonlight.

The singer’s voice haunted her as she cupped Alyssa’s cheek, feeling Alyssa’s hand on her own as their faces were a whisper apart, the two of them twirling around the floor and making her head spin in a way that had very little to do with the rotations themselves.

“_I have died every day waiting for you. Darling don’t be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years. I’ll love you for a thousand more.”_

Feeling Alyssa in her arms like this, while the song she’d loved for so long was being performed, and knowing distantly in the back of her mind that there might well be gay kids watching at home seeing themselves represented for the first time, was almost overwhelming. But Alyssa kept her steady. Kept her calm.

At the end of the song, Emma placed both her hands on Alyssa’s back – her left under her body and between her shoulder blades, her right around her waist and supporting the small of her back – following her as she dipped her down. Alyssa’s hands were tangled in her hair, their noses brushing together impossibly gently. Alyssa’s eyes were open, gazing up into Emma’s own as the final note rang out and was drowned by the thunderous cheers of the audience.

Emma stood up straight again, bringing Alyssa with her. Alyssa’s arms wound themselves around her neck, pulling her into a tight hug. Emma’s hands stayed in place on her back, and she hid a smile in Alyssa’s shoulder. That had all really happened, and it had been magical.

They disentangled themselves, Alyssa reaching down to slide their palms together as they always did as they walked over to where Tom Hawkins was waiting by the judges’ table. His old eyes crinkled with delight as he welcomed them to his side. For the first time, Emma let herself glance at the judges, relieved to see that they were all smiling.

“Barry, let’s come to you for a comment.”

“That was… that was maybe one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen,” Barry said, voice thick with emotion. It suddenly clicked in Emma’s mind that he was _crying_. Angie wordlessly handed him a tissue. “Thank you. Girls, it was simple. It was powerful. The choreography in that routine was sublime, and it was performed with such honesty and emotion that, well, obviously now I am a mess.”

The audience laughed as Barry gestured to the tissue. Emma could barely believe the praise that was coming out of his mouth.

“We also just about have time for a brief word from Angie,” Tom said. Emma wondered if they were omitting Dee Dee on purpose after last week.

“I’ll keep it quick, Tom,” Angie promised. “Everything that Barry just said. Your chemistry is so strong anyway, but this dance really showcased why you’re the perfect match. Amazing work tonight, and, Emma… it’s good to see you looking so confident out there.”

Emma blushed, looking down at her feet and the last whispers of fog that covered them. Once they were excused, she stumbled her way to the Sky Box, still gripping Alyssa’s hand tightly for comfort and hardly daring to believe the words that had come out of the judges’ mouths.

Trent’s interview was a blur; even Alyssa didn’t look as sharp as she usually did after their performances. Needless to say, Trent simply decided to wax poetic for a minute until the scores were in. Emma worried her bottom lip between her teeth, heart thumping as she looked at the monitor. She wondered if she’d ever get used to this specific feeling.

Angie gave the camera a brilliant smile. “Eight!”

Holy shit. They’d gotten an eight. Emma’s eyes widened, seeing Alyssa’s face alight with joy out of the corner of her eye. Barry was up next, still dabbing at his eyes with the tissue.

“You made this old gay very happy. Nine.”

Emma choked on thin air. Alyssa wrapped her arms around Emma’s waist from the side, a surprised gasp escaping her lips. Emma’s arms automatically came up to hold onto Alyssa, head spinning, because she couldn’t quite believe this was real.

“Haunting. Beautiful. Your best dance by far,” Dee Dee said simply, and even she was smiling. “Eight.”

Trent beamed at them. “That puts you on a total of twenty-five, your highest score to date!”

“Oh my God,” Emma murmured. “I—I can’t believe it.”

“You’d better,” Trent told her gleefully, ruffling her hair. Somewhere, Emma knew a hair and makeup artist was twitching in fury. “Now, if you at home want to see Emma and Alyssa dance again next week, the voting information you need is on your screen right now.”

As soon as they cut away back to Tom, the rest of the dancers swarmed them. Emma was hugged by more people than she could keep track of, and she had a feeling that Alyssa was equally swamped. But for once in her life, Emma was actually enjoying the attention. She felt on top of the world, and the joy in the Sky Box was infectious, and maybe she could do this whole dancing thing after all.

* * *

**ocean **@zazzhands: that was so soft and romantic and GAY im literally crying rn??? #dwts

**vote emlyssa **@letsgolesbians: HEY #DWTS VIEWERS AND AMERICA IN GENERAL PLEASE VOTE FOR THE LESBIANS ITS V IMPORTANT

**hoe **@timewives: me as angie saying that they have strong chemistry sdjkdskj also like,,, did anyone else think they were deadass gonna kiss at the end

**not kara **@emmagreene: @timewives no i thought for a second they were going to as well i very nearly lost my shit

**connor **@lgbtango: okay i gotta say i am getting Vibes from emma and alyssa don’t @ me

**freddie **@sapphicsamba: @lgbtango RIGHT??

* * *

“God, the French toast here is so fucking good,” Alyssa said, before sinking her teeth into her next bite.

Emma just watched her with an amused look on her face. “I know, that’s why it’s my favorite spot.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’ve been introducing me to all sorts of things this past week,” Alyssa rolled her eyes. “_Twilight_, this brunch place I didn’t even know existed… well, actually, that’s pretty much it.”

“That’s still one more thing than you introduced to me this week.”

Alyssa almost choked on her next mouthful. “Fuck you. I taught you how to _waltz_.”

“Yeah but that’s your job,” Emma said, with a shit-eating grin on her face. “It’s not my job to introduce you to YA movie adaptations and pay for your food.”

“I’m going to choreograph such an evil Jazz routine, just you wait,” Alyssa grumbled.

Emma paled. “I’m going to die.”

“You definitely will with that attitude,” Alyssa said. She was about to say more when movement caught the corner of her eye.

She craned her head, Emma doing the same once she noticed Alyssa’s frown, trying to see if it really was a camera she thought she could make out through the clouded glass of the establishment.

“Is that…” Emma trailed off in disbelief. “Is that a _pap_?”

Alyssa’s blood ran cold. “Oh, God. I think it might be.”

“And they’re taking pictures of _us_?”

“Seems so.”

Alyssa turned to look at Emma, who looked impossibly confused. “But… why?”

“I don’t know, Emma, maybe because we’re on a reality TV show?” Alyssa’s voice came out more exasperated than she intended, and she winced. “Sorry.”

“Just ignore them,” Emma suggested. “Maybe if we stay in here long enough, they’ll get bored and go away.”

Alyssa somehow doubted it, and they had a limited amount of time before they had to get to the television studios for the results show, but she decided to just let it go. Still, she couldn’t get over the discomfort she felt knowing that someone was waiting outside with a camera specifically for her or Emma. Or, given their Waltz last night, for her _and _Emma.

* * *

Emma really hated eliminations.

She had just discovered that she hated them even more when they had announced the fates of six out of eleven couples, and she and Alyssa hadn’t been among them. This meant that they’d have to wait for this week’s musical guest to perform before they’d find out if they were safe or if they were in the bottom two.

If it were to be based on judges’ scores alone, then they would be safe for sure. Their score of 25 had placed them third on the leaderboard behind Carrie and Marcus, but it was the audience vote that terrified Emma the most. She knew she had a small yet dedicated fanbase, but this vote was the whole of the country – or at least, the ones that were watching _Dancing with the Stars_.

The musical guest, in Emma’s opinion, was subpar. Mostly she just wanted his performance to be over so that she could find out if she was still going to be dancing with Alyssa for the next week. She wasn’t ready to lose that.

After what seemed like an eternity, the performance was over and Emma was making her way back onto the dance floor so that she and Alyssa could stand under their assigned spotlight once more. The tense music was back, because Emma had learned not to expect anything different from this show, and she fought to keep her jaw unclenched and not succumb to the stress.

She went to hide her face in Alyssa’s hair as she usually did, but then she hesitated as she remembered the man with the camera that had waited for them outside the brunch place earlier. Maybe people were picking up on her feelings for Alyssa. Maybe she shouldn’t hold onto her like this in eliminations at all.

Alyssa pulled her from her thoughts by squeezing Emma’s linked hands with one of her own, reaching behind her head with the other to stroke the fine hairs at the back of Emma’s neck. Emma exhaled quietly, letting her head fall forwards until Alyssa’s hair was tickling her skin like always. If Alyssa was still okay with her doing this, then Emma was okay with it, too.

“The next couple through to next week is… Noah and Hayden!”

“Jess and Kyle!”

“Natalie and Jules!”

Emma felt nauseous. There were only two couples left. One would be safe, and the other would be in the bottom two. Trying to remind herself that the order was completely random, Emma nonetheless felt herself start to shake uncontrollably. Her hands tightened over Alyssa’s stomach. Alyssa’s hand rubbed her neck before sliding up into her hair and scratching her scalp soothingly. Emma could feel her trembling, too.

“The final couple definitely dancing again next week is…” Trent had the honors this time. Emma felt the tension in the room build and build to breaking point. “Emma and Alyssa!”

Emma couldn’t hear a thing over the rushing of blood in her own ears. All she could do was hug Alyssa tightly to herself as she felt her sag in her arms. The spotlight on them went out, but Emma’s heart continued to pound at what felt like dangerously fast rate.

“We did it,” Alyssa was whispering, turning around in Emma’s arms to hug her properly. “We did it.”

* * *

**alice | 17 **@wooloowoo: MY FUCKING NERVES CAN’T TAKE THIS SHIT

**kara {stream sword} **@emmasnolans: leaving the lesbians until last is homophobic and i will not stand for it

**jojo is tired **@dwtstans: emma and alyssa both looked like they were about to pass tf out like what a mood

**alice | 17 **@wooloowoo: SERIOUSLY IM AT MY FUCKING LIMIT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next up: jaaaaaaazz


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL COMMENTS ON LAST CHAPTER!!
> 
> i won't be able to write for a couple days, and im also technically meant to be packing up my mess of a room, so the next chapter might not be until the end of this weekend, but i'll do my best.
> 
> not quite sure how this chapter turned into emma angst, but i blame dani (ily)
> 
> enjoy!

Chapter Four: Eras Week

* * *

**now that funny feeling has me amazed / don’t know what to do / my head’s in a haze / it’s like a heat wave**

* * *

Alyssa sat shoulder to shoulder with Emma in front of the camera, a huge grin on her face. Emma looked completely bewildered, which was understandable as the camera had never filmed them this early on in the week before. It was Wednesday afternoon and, since the theme of the week was ‘eras’, the producers apparently wanted each celeb reacting on-camera to the era they’d gotten.

“Ask me why I’m wearing sunglasses indoors.”

Emma sighed dutifully. “Alyssa, why are you wearing sunglasses indoors?”

“Well, Emma, I’m so glad you asked,” Alyssa said, leaning back in her chair and fanning herself. “There appears to be a heat wave going on out there.”

“It’s October.”

Alyssa pushed her sunglasses up on top of her head and scowled at Emma. “You’re meant to play along.”

“I’m not an actor,” Emma said with a laugh. “I’m awful at it.”

“The reason I’m wearing sunglasses indoors,” Alyssa said, ignoring her, “is because we’re going to be dancing to the song _Heat Wave _by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas.”

“Motown?” Emma looked interested.

Alyssa smiled. “You know it?”

“My grandma loves Motown.”

“So, does that mean you know what era we have for this week?” Alyssa asked.

“The sixties?” Emma guessed. “Early sixties, if we’re getting specific by the song.”

Beaming, Alyssa turned back to the camera. “Do you have any stickers?”

The cameraman shook his head, and Alyssa pouted. Thankfully, they were done filming soon after that and then Alyssa could focus on actually teaching Emma the Jazz routine she’d choreographed last night.

“Okay, so you’re going to want to keep a low center of gravity in this dance,” she instructed. “And we’re speeding the tempo of the song up just slightly so everything’s going to feel pretty fast.”

Emma puffed out her cheeks, clearly a little worried. “Okay.”

“You’ll be great,” Alyssa said, doing her best to reassure her. “Did you watch our Waltz back? You’ve come on so much already.”

“I haven’t,” Emma said. “I don’t know if I want to _watch _myself dance.”

“It might help,” Alyssa said gently. “But you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“Maybe another time,” Emma said, giving Alyssa a tight smile. “Can we just start learning the moves for this one, please?”

“Yeah, of course,” Alyssa said. “Okay, so we’ve got the early sixties this week, but I’m thinking about blending in some fifties stuff with it to really make us that transitional period in the running order. I think Darlene has her heart set on a leather jacket for you.”

Emma grinned, genuine this time. “I’d be down for that. I’ve been told I look great in a leather jacket.”

“Okay, Danny Zuko,” Alyssa laughed. “Calm down.”

“I thought you said our era was sixties,” Emma said, arching an eyebrow. “We’re not greasers, Alyssa.”

Alyssa rolled her eyes, trying not to think about how hot Emma would look if Darlene did decide to dress her in a leather jacket for the show. She wondered if there were any pictures of her wearing one floating around the internet somewhere.

“Are you ready to learn the routine, or not?” she asked challengingly, knowing Emma would rise to it.

“I was born ready.”

Alyssa barely resisted the urge to laugh. “Okay. But we’re gonna free dance to the song first, so you can get a feel for it. And, trust me, you’re going to want to be warmed up for this one. Jazz dances are usually pretty high-energy.”

Ten minutes of free dancing later, with Alyssa’s ridiculous moves documented once more on Emma’s Instagram story, they were both breathing a little harder from the effort of their warmup. Alyssa took a deep breath and clapped her hands together once to get Emma’s attention.

“Let’s begin.”

By the end of their session, Alyssa had made some progress in teaching Emma the choreography, but she couldn’t help but get the feeling that Emma was getting frustrated with herself. She wasn’t picking up the style as well as she had last week, which Alyssa had been expecting, but it seemed to upset Emma a little bit.

“It’s okay,” she said as they were packing up at the end of their session. “This is pretty different from everything we’ve done before now. You’ll get it.”

Emma chewed on her bottom lip as she zipped her hoodie up. “I hope so. Last week went so well, even if the elimination was even scarier than usual, and I want to do well again this time.”

“Hey,” Alyssa said, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach as she pulled Emma into a loose hug. “What’s the saying? Everything will be alright on the night.”

She felt Emma relax a little in her arms. “Still.”

“You’re going to be amazing, Em,” Alyssa said quietly. “You always are.”

* * *

“Did anyone ever tell you that you’re a stalker?”

Emma snorted, pushing off the rink barricade that separated the ice from safe ground. “It’s not my fault that you insist on telling me your skating training schedule.”

Carrie just rolled her eyes good-naturedly, stepping off the ice through the gap in the barricade and sitting down on a nearby bench to unlace her skates. Emma eyed the metal blades warily.

“I’m not going to murder you,” Carrie said dryly. “Even if you are shaping up to be my biggest competition on the dance floor.”

“Hilarious,” Emma said, staying at a safe distance nonetheless. “And I’m definitely not.”

“Emma, your Waltz was incredible,” Carrie said plainly. “That’s not even me being biased because we’re friends. You deserved that score, one hundred per cent.”

“Are you sure Barry didn’t just give me a nine for the gay solidarity?” Emma joked, scuffing the carpet with the toe of her sneaker.

“Please, Barry may have been emotional at seeing something he could relate to in that way, but he’s a judge first and foremost,” Carrie said. “The dance was beautiful, but the way everyone connected with it… the way you and Alyssa connected with it… there’s no shame in a higher score coming from the emotional impact of something.”

Emma shrugged, but she couldn’t help the smile that tugged on her lips. “That dance felt pretty special. To people watching, I mean.”

“It didn’t feel special to you?” Carrie’s voice was measured, and Emma looked up in surprise.

“I, um, well…” she trailed off, not wanting to give too much away. “It did.”

Carrie just smiled at her. “From where I was standing, it seemed pretty special to both of you.”

Emma swallowed, because from the way Carrie was talking, it seemed like she hadn’t been as subtle about her feelings for Alyssa as she’d hoped. She struggled to find something to say to excuse it, but found herself floundering. Fiddling with her glasses, she tried to think of a change of topic. Carrie, however, clearly wasn’t done.

“I don’t know how Alyssa identifies, and I’m not going to ask if you know,” she continued. “But… there was some kind of magic in that performance. I think it moved her more than it did anyone else in that room, even if she kept it together better than Barry did.”

“Right,” Emma scoffed. “Carrie, she’s a professional dancer. It’s, like, her job to make the routine look believable.”

Carrie raised her eyebrows, amused, but let it go. “How’s this week going?”

“So badly,” Emma sighed. “We’ve been rehearsing it for two days and I’m not any better than the first time we ran it through. It’s going to be a disaster if I can’t get my shit together.”

“You’ve got a Jazz routine, right?”

Emma nodded, running a hand through her hair. “I know I could get it if I only had more time, you know?”

“So ask Alyssa if you guys can put more hours in,” Carrie suggested. “Sometimes Elliott and I stay for an extra hour past what we planned.”

“But she’s so busy with the group pro dances,” Emma said, checking the time on her phone. “Like the one she’s currently in. I don’t want to stop her from going home and resting.”

“Emma, she’s here to help you,” Carrie said, before she smirked. “It’s, like, her job.”

“Shut up,” Emma groaned. “It’s not nice to mock your friends.”

“Aw, that’s the first time you’ve admitted we’re friends,” Carrie said, putting a hand over her heart.

“To your face.”

Carrie scrunched up her nose. “Have you been talking to other people about me?”

“Only Alyssa,” Emma said casually. “I kind of put my foot in my mouth, like always. But it’s fine.”

Humming thoughtfully, Carrie slung her bag over her shoulder and stood up. “Well, I’d love to stay and chat, but I have a lunch date to get to before practise this afternoon.”

“Is Will taking you out?”

“I don’t have any other husbands, so yes,” Carrie said, the smirk still on her face. “Keep working at the Jazz, Emma, it’ll come. Promise.”

Emma sighed. “Why do people insist on having faith in me?”

* * *

Alyssa was more than a little surprised to see Nick Boomer follow Kaylee into group rehearsal on Friday morning. She wasn’t the only one, judging by the looks on her friends’ faces. Kevin mostly looked bewildered, squinting at Nick as if he wasn’t sure that he was really seeing him. Shelby’s eyebrows were furrowed, and her mouth was set in a thin line as she watched Nick talking to Kaylee while she stretched.

“I didn’t know we were allowed to bring dance partners,” Alyssa said as Kaylee made her way over, curiosity lacing her voice.

“Well, we got breakfast together,” Kaylee shrugged. “And we have rehearsal together after this, too, so it just seemed easier.”

“Breakfast?” Shelby’s eyes narrowed.

“Most important meal of the day,” Kaylee said brightly. “Especially when you have five or six hours of dancing ahead of you.”

Shelby clenched her jaw. Alyssa glanced over at her worriedly, not quite sure what was causing her friend’s irritation. Kaylee seemed oblivious to the sudden change in mood, as did Kevin. Nick waved blithely from the corner.

Alyssa wondered what exactly was going on between Kaylee and Nick. Kaylee had already said that they’d made out before the first live show, but Alyssa wasn’t sure if it had gone further than that, or whether there were any feelings involved. Clearly, whatever they had was working for them, because they both seemed happy and at ease with each other.

During their water break mid-way through rehearsal, Alyssa saw Kaylee make her way over to Nick again. She laughed at something he said, her hand slapping his chest. Nick caught Kaylee’s hand in his, keeping it pressed against his chest.

“Is something happening between them?” Kevin wondered aloud. “Like, an actual something.”

“I don’t know,” Alyssa said slowly. “What do you think, Shelbs?”

Shelby’s voice was flat. “Don’t know, don’t care.”

“Okay,” Alyssa raised her eyebrows in surprise. “I just… I don’t think it’s a good idea for them to date, if that’s what they’re doing. Or even fool around.”

“What makes you say that?” Kevin asked, looking genuinely interested.

Alyssa shrugged, feeling her cheeks heating up. “Things can go so wrong so easily. Especially if you have feelings for them, I… I just think mixing dancing and dating is a bad idea.”

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with—”

“No, it wouldn’t,” Alyssa cut Shelby off quickly. “I’m talking generally, obviously.”

“Sure,” Shelby rolled her eyes. “Anyway, I don’t have time for this. Who cares if they’re fucking off of the dance floor? That’s their choice, right?”

Alyssa bit her bottom lip. “Shelby, are you okay?”

“Yes,” Shelby replied immediately. “I’m just wonderful.”

Alyssa exchanged a look with Kevin, who seemed apprehensive, so she decided not to press the matter any further. Soon enough, their water break was over, and a giggling Kaylee was rejoining them once more.

Trying not to give it any more thought, Alyssa still couldn’t help but wonder just what the hell was going on with her friends.

* * *

Emma stood, in the middle of the dance studio, completely out of breath.

“Fuck.”

She raked a hand through her already messy hair, wiping sweat off her forehead as she glared at herself in the mirror wall.

“Get your shit together, Nolan.”

The song started again, where it was looping on her phone. The sound of Martha Reeves and the Vandellas blared through the speakers, the pitch a little higher due to the speeding up of the recording. Emma slapped her own face lightly, trying to make herself focus on the steps.

For about half the routine, it worked. It was actually going pretty well. And then Emma led with the wrong foot on a move she should know by now, and she’d ruined it once more. Barely stopping herself from letting out a scream of frustration, Emma marched over to the dock and restarted the song, quickly dashing back to her first position and trying again. Panting, she tried to muster up the energy she needed for the dance. If she couldn’t get this right, then she’d be useless come the live show. It was only three days away, and she still couldn’t get the steps all the way through.

Not even after doubling back once Alyssa had left yesterday and dancing by herself until midnight. Not even after coming in at seven this morning to practise some more while Alyssa was at group rehearsal.

_Shit. What time is it?_

Emma waited until she inevitably messed up the routine again, and then allowed herself to look at the clock. Almost one in the afternoon. Emma looked at the state of herself in the mirror, deciding that she definitely needed to go home and shower before meeting Alyssa here for their rehearsal at two. If she skipped lunch, she’d have enough time.

Reasoning that since she’d eaten breakfast, then missing lunch wouldn’t be too bad, Emma gathered her stuff together quickly and left. She locked the studio behind her, throwing her bag into the passenger seat of her truck and hoping the LA traffic wouldn’t be too bad on her pretty short journey home.

Once she got back to her apartment, she practically ripped her clothes off before jumping in the shower. Only then did she let herself stop moving for the first time since she’d woken up this morning, standing under the showerhead and taking a huge breath. The hot water felt good on her aching muscles.

Emma let herself stand there for a little while longer before she got to work on washing her hair. It didn’t take long before she was shutting off the water and towelling herself dry. She dried her hair quickly, thankful that it never seemed to stay wet for long, before pulling on fresh clothes to dance in this afternoon. She really needed to find time to do laundry, because she was starting to run out of leggings – and shirts that weren’t soaked in sweat.

Seeing that she didn’t have long to get back to the studio, Emma grabbed her bag and keys once more and left her apartment. The drive was remarkably clear, and she pulled into the tiny parking lot around the back of the studio just as Alyssa was getting out of her own car.

“Hey,” Alyssa said brightly. “Ready for Jazz time?”

Emma returned her brilliant smile. “Always.”

Alyssa let them into the studio, and Emma had never been more grateful that she had remembered to lock up behind her as she’d left an hour ago. She set her backpack down on the floor next to Alyssa’s and turned to look at her with what she hoped was a convincing smile on her face.

Now that Alyssa was there to correct her mistakes and make suggestions, Emma found that she was doing a bit better than she had either the previous night or that morning. There were some moves, too, that were just a lot easier when she had Alyssa to counterbalance her weight.

Alyssa paused for breath after their third straight run-through. “Do you need a five minute water break?”

“Two minutes,” Emma said.

“Fine,” Alyssa relented. “You smell good, by the way. Did you shower just before you set off?”

Emma felt her face redden. “Yeah, um, I was out earlier but I needed a shower before practise.”

“I wouldn’t have taken it personally if you hadn’t showered just for rehearsal, by the way,” Alyssa grinned. “Both of us are gonna smell pretty bad by the end of the session, after all.”

“I wanted to,” Emma said carefully. She couldn’t bring herself to lie to Alyssa, so she just hoped a partial truth would do. “Back to work?”

“Sure,” Alyssa said, glancing at her a little strangely.

Emma tried to ignore the light-headedness she was starting to feel as they got back to dancing, blinking to bring the world back into focus every time things went a little bit blurry. She would never admit it, but she was thankful when Alyssa decided she was hungry and called for a snack break. She was even more thankful when Alyssa tossed her an energy bar from her bag.

“Not sure why there’s two in there,” she said. “Merry Christmas.”

“Aw, you shouldn’t have,” Emma said, unwrapping the bar and wolfing it down in record time. She looked up to see Alyssa regarding her curiously once more. “What?”

“Nothing,” Alyssa said. “I just don’t think I’ve seen a plain old energy bar disappear that fast before.”

“It’s a good energy bar.”

“I’m surprised you even tasted it,” Alyssa joked. “I mean, I get it. Jazz works up an appetite for sure.”

They kept dancing until seven pm, an hour past the time they had taken to finishing at, and Emma was more grateful than she could express that Alyssa was spending another hour teaching her how to do the steps right. As the clock struck seven, Alyssa wiped her sweaty face with the towel she’d packed in her bag – clearly smarter in her preparation than Emma herself had been. She gave Emma a tired smile.

“I think you’re really making progress,” she said. “Your rib isolations were so much sharper today.”

_Maybe because I’ve been working on them for what feels like the entire day._

“Thanks,” Emma said instead, using the bottom of her t shirt to wipe her forehead. She looked back at Alyssa, whose smile had taken on a slightly strained quality. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, fine,” Alyssa said quickly. “I was, um, just wondering if you wanted to get lunch tomorrow?”

Emma wanted so badly to say yes. But she knew she would be in the studio all morning again, so she tried to think of an excuse. One came to her instantly.

“And risk more paparazzi showing up?” she smiled wryly. “I think that one guy made us both uncomfortable enough last time.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Alyssa said, picking her bag up. “Maybe another time, then. Are you okay to lock up behind you?”

Emma nodded. “Yeah, totally.”

“Awesome,” Alyssa said, sighing a little. “Because I’m gonna go home, read my book, and then straight up pass out.”

“As you should,” Emma said. “Night.”

“Goodnight, Emma,” Alyssa said, stepping into Emma’s space to hug her quickly. Emma tried not to savor it.

As soon as Alyssa’s car was gone, Emma let out a long breath. She walked over to the dock, plugged her phone in, and pressed play on _Heat Wave_.

* * *

Biting her lip and wondering if she should be prying like this, Alyssa nonetheless took a deep breath and knocked on the front door of the house just before midday. She adjusted the strap of her dance bag over her shoulder, a little self-conscious that she’d come straight from group rehearsal. At least she had a soft pullover hoodie that she’d put on over her top. After a little while, the door swung open.

“Hey,” Alyssa said awkwardly.

Carrie stared back at her, clearly surprised at seeing her on her doorstep. “Alyssa, hi. Um, how do you know where I live?”

“Elliott gave me your address,” Alyssa explained hastily. “I wanted to talk to you about something and, uh, it didn’t seem like the kind of conversation best had over the phone. Can I come in?”

“Yeah, of course,” Carrie said, stepping aside to let Alyssa past. “Will’s out at work right now, so it’s just us and the dogs.”

As if on cue, two collies bounded in from the living room to greet her. Alyssa crouched to pet them, letting the two of them sniff her and laughing a little as her legs got whacked repeatedly by fast-wagging tails. It helped to disperse the awkwardness she felt at turning up on Carrie’s doorstep like this, especially since she used to be jealous of her when she’d thought that Emma…

“Calm down, boys,” Carrie sighed. “They get very excited when they meet new people, sorry.”

“No, it’s fine,” Alyssa reassured her. “I love dogs.”

“Living room’s through this way, by the way,” Carrie said, and Alyssa straightened up to follow her. The living room was very homey in a way that still felt fairly modern. Alyssa decided she liked, it as she took a seat on the end of the couch. Carrie sat down in an armchair perpendicular to the couch and regarded her curiously. “So, what is it that you want to talk about?”

Alyssa bit down on the inside of her cheek for a second before taking a deep breath. “Emma.”

“Oh?” Carrie raised her eyebrows but, other than that, her face was frustratingly blank. “Anything specific, or…”

“I’m worried about her.”

Alyssa got the feeling that Carrie hadn’t been expecting her to say that, but there was a flash of _something _in her eyes that suggested that Alyssa had been right to seek her out. Before she knew it, more words were spilling out of her mouth.

“I just mean that she, um, was looking really wiped out yesterday. Like, dead on her feet tired. At first I thought maybe she hadn’t been sleeping well or she was feeling sick or something, but I didn’t even realize that we’d been rehearsing an extra hour because she didn’t say anything and before I knew it, it was seven pm,” Alyssa said in a rush. “But I just don’t know what to do because I don’t want to pry and invade her privacy but I thought you might be able to help me, cause I know she talks to you about stuff she knows I wouldn’t get the way you do. I just… I don’t know if I _should _be worried about her, but I am.”

There was a long silence as Carrie processed Alyssa’s words. Apprehension started to spread through Alyssa’s body, because maybe she was just making a big deal out of nothing and Emma was fine. But there was something in her gut that made her think that Emma wasn’t telling her something. Something important.

“I don’t know what’s up with Emma,” Carrie said. “But the last time I spoke to her was two days ago and all she mentioned was how frustrated she was with not being able to pick up Jazz that easily.”

Alyssa nodded. “She’s almost there with it now.”

“She mentioned something about wanting more time to rehearse,” Carrie said suddenly, furrowing her brow. “I told her to ask you for more practise hours.”

“She didn’t ask me,” Alyssa said, confused.

Carrie rubbed her temples as if trying to remember something. “No, she… she said that she didn’t want to stop you from going home and resting, because you’re busy with the pro dances as well.”

“She knows I would’ve said yes, right?” Alyssa’s eyes widened. “If she wants me to come in earlier or stay later she knows I would do that without question, right?”

“I don’t think she does,” Carrie said plainly. “The main thing I’ve noticed about Emma over the past couple weeks is that she doesn’t seem to think that people will put in the same effort for her that she would for them.”

Alyssa thought she could feel her heart breaking just a little bit. “She… she thinks that if we don’t score as high this week, then she’s let me down.”

“I think she does.”

“She could never let me down,” Alyssa said, almost to herself. “God, maybe I put too much pressure on her by saying she was always amazing.”

“Don’t blame yourself,” Carrie said quickly. “You were being supportive. She just turned that into heaping more weight onto her own shoulders.”

Alyssa sighed, closing her eyes. “What is she doing? And what is she not telling me?”

“I think you’ll probably have to ask _her _that.”

“You’re right,” Alyssa said, groaning suddenly. “Sorry. I just thought you might know something.”

“I mean, I don’t know anything for sure,” Carrie said. “But I’m very good at guessing. And my guess about Emma is that you need to ask her where she goes in the mornings. Where she probably is right now.”

Alyssa’s heart seized in her chest. “Oh, God.”

She stood up suddenly from the couch, images of Emma accidentally injuring herself through exhaustion flashing through her mind. Carrie stood up, too, walking her to the door. “Breathe.”

“I’m sorry,” Alyssa said. “I have to go make sure she’s okay.”

Carrie grabbed something from the little table in the hall and pressed it into her hand. “Text me once you’ve spoken to her. I want to know that she’s okay.”

Alyssa looked down to see a business card in her palm, with Carrie’s number on it. “You have these just lying around your house? Wait, not the time to question it.”

“Just go make sure Emma hasn’t passed out from dehydration or something,” Carrie said. “It was nice officially meeting you, Alyssa.”

Cringing a little, Alyssa put the card in her bag. “Sorry,” she said again.

“Don’t be,” Carrie said. “Just shows what a caring friend you are to her.”

“The fact you let me in and helped me tells me that you are, too,” Alyssa said, leaving her words hanging in the air as she dashed away. “I’ll keep you updated!”

Rationally, she knew that Emma was probably okay at this current moment. But she thought back to how tired Emma had been yesterday, and how quickly she’d eaten the food Alyssa had tossed to her without a second thought, and she pressed the speed limit all the way to the rehearsal studio.

* * *

Emma was halfway through what might have been one of her best run-throughs of the routine when the door to the studio opened and Alyssa burst in.

“Shit!”

Her body froze halfway through a spin, and she almost fell over. Catching herself before she actually lost her footing, Emma felt her face flush with embarrassment at being caught. She cleared her throat.

“Alyssa, hey,” she managed. “I thought we weren’t meeting until two.”

“Hi,” Alyssa said quietly, her voice a counterpoint to the intensity with which she’d flung the door open. “Thought you might be in here.”

“Yeah, um,” Emma rubbed the back of her neck. “I was in need of some extra practise.”

Alyssa just looked at her, walking towards her and crossing the distance between them until she was standing a few feet away. “You could have called me.”

“You were in group rehearsal.”

“Only until eleven,” Alyssa pointed out. “Or we could’ve stayed here later, like we did yesterday.”

Emma shifted uncomfortably. “I didn’t want you to—”

“To what, Emma?” Alyssa interrupted, and Emma took a step back. “To make sure you were learning the dance safely? To ensure you took enough breaks so that you had some recovery time? To keep you from limiting your meals and your sleep and God only knows what else?”

“I didn’t want to bother you,” Emma admitted in a small voice, and she saw Alyssa swallow hard.

“You could never bother me, especially with this,” she said, her voice quieter but no less intense. “Emma, how many hours have you been in here by yourself?”

Emma did the math in her head. “Twenty-three. Six hours on Thursday night, six more yesterday before our rehearsal and five more after. Six this morning.”

For a long moment, Alyssa just looked at her in shock. “You…”

“I didn’t want to disappoint you,” Emma said, staring at the ground when meeting Alyssa’s eyes became too much. “I felt like I did so well last week but then I just couldn’t get my head around this week’s routine and I didn’t want to show up on Monday night and dance this badly and let you down and… wait, are you—are you crying?”

Alyssa sniffed, wiping her eyes quickly. “Maybe.”

“Why?”

Suddenly, Alyssa was hugging her, bag forgotten on the floor. It knocked all the air out of Emma’s lungs, and she was powerless to do anything except wrap her arms around Alyssa’s shaking shoulders and swallow thickly as she closed her eyes.

“How could you ever think that I’d be disappointed in you?” Alyssa whispered in her ear, making her shiver.

“I don’t know, I—I’m sorry,” Emma said.

Alyssa wrapped her arms tighter around her waist. “You know what would have really disappointed me? If we had to withdraw because you hurt yourself pushing a tired body past its limits.”

Emma gulped, because she hadn’t really thought about that. “I just wanted to get better.”

“That’s what _I’m _here for, idiot,” Alyssa said with a sigh. “I’m only in group rehearsal for an hour or so each morning. Aside from that, I’m yours.”

Emma’s breath caught in her throat.

“I mean, um,” Alyssa pulled back from the hug. “I’m free to come in and help you. If you want to put more hours in, let’s do it safely, okay?”

“Okay,” Emma murmured. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Alyssa said, her eyes soft and still a little watery. “Just please don’t put either of us through this again.”

“I won’t.”

Alyssa’s shoulders relaxed. “We’re a team. Do you understand me?”

“Yeah,” Emma said. “I promise I’ll call you next time.”

“You better,” Alyssa managed a smile. “You can’t get rid of me that easily, Nolan.”

Emma stifled a sudden yawn. “Can we start rehearsing?”

“No. Not yet,” Alyssa said firmly. “You’re going to eat half of my packed lunch. I’m going to eat the other half. And then you’re going to take a nap.”

“But the rehearsal…”

“We can stay later if you want,” Alyssa said. “But you need to eat and sleep, otherwise you’re going to end up straining something.”

Emma glanced down at her shoes. “Okay.”

And that was how, ten minutes and a full stomach later, Emma found herself about to purposefully lie down on the floor of the studio. It wasn’t all that appealing, if she was honest, but she was actually a lot more tired than she’d been willing to admit to Alyssa. She was looking for the bit of ground that looked the cleanest when she felt something being pushed into her side.

“Here, use this as a pillow,” Alyssa said, holding out her green hoodie. Emma took it, marvelling at how soft the material was.

“Thanks,” she said. “You’ll wake me up in a half hour, right?”

Alyssa nodded. “Promise. Look, I’m setting an alarm on my phone right now.”

“Okay, cool,” Emma mumbled, fighting off another yawn as she flopped onto the ground. “Awesome.”

She balled up Alyssa’s hoodie, curling up on her side on the floor as she laid her head on the fabric. Immediately, a familiar smell surrounded her, and it made her stomach flip because it was ridiculous that, even though she’d literally been wearing it, the hoodie smelled so much like Alyssa.

Emma’s last thought before she drifted off to sleep was that Alyssa smelled _really _nice.

What felt like seconds later, the sound of a phone alarm woke her up. Blinking and disorientated, and hoping it would be okay that she’d napped with her contacts in, Emma frowned at the mass of dark brown curls right in front of her face. Her eyes went wide upon realizing that it was Alyssa’s hair.

Alyssa was lying just in front of her on the floor, using a fresh towel as a pillow, shifting like she’d just woken up herself. Emma lay there, frozen, as Alyssa huffed out a sigh and switched her alarm off before rolling onto her back. She glanced over at Emma, wiping her eyes a little sleepily.

“Feel better?”

Emma nodded, not trusting her voice right now because it would surely give away how breathless waking up next to Alyssa made her feel. Even if they’d only been asleep for a half hour on the hard floor of a dance studio. God, she needed to stop thinking about waking up next to Alyssa.

“Okay, now we can rehearse,” Alyssa said, eyes flickering around Emma’s face for just a moment before she suddenly stood up.

Emma cleared her throat, picking Alyssa’s hoodie up and getting to her feet. She held the hoodie out to Alyssa. “Here.”

Wincing at how awkward she was probably being, Emma quickly walked over to her bag to get a drink of water. She stretched out her muscles, rolling her shoulders to loosen them up after her nap. She wondered why Alyssa had decided to nap with her; not that she was complaining at all, she just found it a bit confusing. Surely Alyssa wasn’t that tired.

Before they started dancing, Emma checked her phone to see if she’d missed any messages this morning. She hadn’t, but she did see a notification from Instagram dated about twenty-five minutes ago saying that Alyssa had tagged her in a story. Alyssa hardly ever posted insta stories, and she’d never tagged her in one before. Bewildered, Emma clicked on it.

It was a selfie that Alyssa had taken, half of her face in frame, lying on the floor with her head on the balled-up towel. Emma was in the background just behind her, sound asleep. On the picture, Alyssa had written the words ‘jazz rehearsal vibes’.

Smiling to herself, Emma took a screenshot.

“You coming?” Alyssa asked from across the room.

Emma started, and quickly tossed her phone back into her backpack. “Yep.”

* * *

**leigh **@moveimgay: GREAT NOW ALYSSA’S STORY IS LIKE THAT TOO

**not kara **@emmagreene: @moveimgay i guess they just take naps together now???

**hoe **@timewives: aight imma say it i dont think thats the first time theyve fallen asleep tog-[gunshot]

**vote emlyssa **@letsgolesbians: rip @timewives taken out too soon

**jojo is tired **@dwtstans: everyone calm down they were probably just tired

**ocean **@zazzhands: okay but has everyone seen those pics of them out for food together? cause #invasive but also HMMM

**connor **@lgbtango: @zazzhands not to shit at the picnic here but i go for brunch with friends all the time

**ocean **@zazzhands: @lgbtango SHIT AT THE PICNIC?!?!

* * *

“Mom, hey,” Alyssa said, phone pressed to her ear as she waited for her face mask to dry. She knew that a lot of makeup was going to go on her skin for the show tomorrow, so she wanted to at least give it a fighting chance. “How are you?”

“I’m really well, darling,” Mrs Greene’s voice was crisp and clear. “And how’s my superstar doing?”

“Great. The show’s going really well so far,” Alyssa said, smiling as she thought about how much better Emma was doing. They’d done camera blocking today and a final studio rehearsal for a few hours after that and – while the routine wasn’t perfect – it was definitely very good.

“I know. I’ve been watching every week.”

“Oh,” Alyssa said, not quite sure what to say to that, because her mom’s tone wasn’t that easy to decipher. “Um, what do you think so far?”

“I think that Trent Oliver is short of a few brain cells,” her mom said. Alyssa snorted.

“He’s a lovely man. But, yeah, his train of thought isn’t always the easiest to follow.”

There was a pause before Mrs Greene spoke again. “It looks like you and Emma Nolan are working well together.”

“Yeah, um, she’s really great,” Alyssa said awkwardly, rolling her eyes at herself. Just because her mom knew that both she and Emma were gay, didn’t mean she was implying anything with her words. “She puts a lot of effort into training.”

_That’s an understatement._

“I’m glad,” her mom said. “You deserve to be paired with someone who takes the competition seriously.”

“Yeah.”

“Which is why I want you to be careful.”

Alyssa blinked in confusion, sitting up straighter. “Mom? I… I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

“You can’t let yourself get distracted by her, Alyssa,” Mrs Greene said plainly. “You have to keep your mind on that trophy.”

“I’m not—I’m not distracted,” Alyssa said. And, most of the time, she wasn’t. It was just the times that she _was _that weren’t great for her sanity. Or her self-restraint.

There was a sigh from the other end of the line. “Honey, I saw the paparazzi pictures. The ones of you and Emma at brunch. I just don’t think you should be dating her, given you’re working together.”

“I… we’re not…” Alyssa took a deep breath, starting to feel a headache coming on. “Emma and I aren’t dating.”

“Don’t lie to me, Alyssa Greene.”

Definitely a headache. “I’m not lying. Hand on heart, we’re not dating.”

“Well. I say it’s definitely for the best,” her mom said finally. “Just keep what I said in mind.”

“Mom, I agree with you,” Alyssa sighed. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for dance partners to date during the show. I think there’s a pair who might be and… I just get the feeling that everything’s going to go horribly wrong somehow.”

“You’re a smart girl, Alyssa,” Mrs Greene said. “Oh, did I mention that I’ve been getting everyone in the neighborhood to watch the show? You’re getting at least some of their votes, anyway.”

“You haven’t mentioned it, no,” Alyssa said. “Thanks, mom. Wait, you’re voting for me, right?”

“Of course I am, honey. All ten votes every week are going to you.”

“I love you,” Alyssa said, a tired smile spreading across her face. “Even if you do assume I’m dating every girl I so much as mention.”

Mrs Greene huffed. “I just want the best for you. And I was right some of those times, for the record.”

“Yes, and you were also wrong a lot of those times.”

“Regardless,” her mom brushed it off. “Good luck tomorrow.”

“Thanks, mom,” Alyssa said. “I think I’m going to get ready for bed now, though, it’s been kind of a long week.”

“Okay, goodnight,” Mrs Greene said. “Oh, Alyssa?”

“Yes?”

“I love you, too.”

* * *

“How do I look?”

Emma swallowed, trying her best not to look Alyssa up and down the way she wanted to. Objectively, Alyssa had worn costumes way more revealing than this, so she wasn’t sure what her problem was. Maybe it was just that Alyssa looked stunning in everything she wore. Her dress was admittedly very nice; a black halterneck style garment patterned with white polka dots and red roses, the flared out skirt falling just above her knees.

She realized that Alyssa was looking at her expectantly. “You look beautiful,” she said honestly.

Alyssa’s worried eyes softened. “Thank you. You look…”

“Badass?” Emma grinned hopefully, putting her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket.

“Yeah, something like that,” Alyssa murmured, before shaking her head a little. “You look amazing. Are you sad that you lose the jacket partway through the routine?”

Emma’s mind wandered to the dress rehearsal where, as choreographed, Alyssa had pushed the jacket off over her shoulders and tossed it aside. “Not really.”

Before she could say anything else, a crew member ushered them into their places. They were grouped with the other couples that would be walking down the left-hand side of the staircase. Kaylee and Nick were there, Nick with his arms around Kaylee’s waist from behind. Shelby and Marcus were there, too; Marcus standing a little awkwardly at a grumpy-looking Shelby’s side.

Once the show came back from commercial (the pro dance having opened the show), each pair linked themselves together and waited to be introduced. Some, like Nick and Kaylee, had it so that the woman’s hand was in the crook of the man’s elbow. Emma would have felt awkward if she and Alyssa had done that, so instead she just slid her hand into Alyssa’s until their palms were pressed together. Alyssa squeezed her hand like she always did before they walked out in front of the audience.

Their intro was the same every time: “Singer-songwriter Emma Nolan, and her professional partner Alyssa Greene!”

Emma reasoned that at least she was starting to get used to it.

She and Alyssa were third out of ten in the running order, so she didn’t have too long to get ridiculously nervous. She was still scared, of course, but at least they weren’t closing the show. Glancing over at Alyssa as they waited in the Sky Box, Emma realized that this was the first dance that they were pretty much the same height. Alyssa had been wearing heels that made her taller than Emma for the shows up until this point, but the athletic nature of their Jazz routine meant that she had simply gone for some flat sneaker-type shoes with about an extra inch of height right the way through. Emma wasn’t _taller _than her tonight, but she at least wasn’t shorter.

As soon as _Heat Wave _started playing and Emma started dancing, all the guilt and stress she had felt that week started to melt away. In her heart, she knew it wasn’t as technically or artistically impactful as their Waltz had been, but the audience seemed to be having fun, at least. Emma was having fun, too, playing up the whole ‘wooing’ aspect of their routine’s storyline.

If this was the only way she was allowing herself to try and charm Alyssa, then so be it.

Like she had before, Alyssa took Emma’s jacket off halfway through the dance, smiling wickedly at her before tossing it away and putting a hand on Emma’s collarbone through her white t shirt. Emma backed up in time with the music, ready for the next steps and trying to fight the blush that the look in Alyssa’s eyes had caused her.

Presenting Alyssa with a rose at the end of the routine seemed to get a good reaction from the crowd. They made their appreciation for the routine known, which bolstered Emma’s confidence as she tried to catch her breath. That one, through a combination of nerves and the amount of effort she’d put in, had taken a lot out of her.

Alyssa held onto the (fake) flower as she hugged Emma at the end of the routine. She took Emma’s free hand with their own, leading her over to get their comments. Tom held out the leather jacket to Emma, which some crew member or other had evidently retrieved.

“Thank you,” Emma said, still gasping for air.

Dee Dee, who had evidently been allowed to comment on Emma’s dances again, was the first judge they came to for comment, although they had seemingly whittled the field down enough to have time for all three to comment on each dance.

“That was a very high energy dance,” Dee Dee said. “A little bit of the precision was lost, but by God, you two made me feel old. And I am not old.”

“I love the story you two crafted,” Angie said. “It was sweet, and it was flirty, and I can tell that you’ve both worked very hard on this routine.”

Barry was last. “I could tell that this wasn’t your most natural style,” he said. “But what I admire about you, Emma, is the commitment you show in learning whatever is thrown at you. Well done this week.”

It was better feedback than Emma could have hoped for at the start of the week. She released a lot of the tension she didn’t even know she’d been holding, her shoulders relaxing at the realization that – for this week at least – they had done all they could. There was a smile on her face as she and Alyssa made their way back up to the Sky Box, which managed to stay in place as Angie, Barry, and Dee Dee revealed their scores.

“Eight.”

“Eight.”

“Eight.”

24 out of 30 was one point less than last week’s dance, but Emma only felt a slight flicker of disappointment, because a small part of her had kind of been expecting to get fours across the board for this routine. When Alyssa looked at her as if to gauge her thoughts, Emma squeezed her hand to reassure her that she really was fine.

Of course she wanted to improve with every dance. But this didn’t feel like too much of a step back. Besides, Emma was admittedly very tired after what she had put herself through this week. So even getting through the routine without having a complete physical or emotional breakdown kind of felt like a victory in itself.

The rest of the show passed in a blur and, before she knew it, Emma was back in her apartment and eating the dinner she had made quickly. And sure, maybe chicken nuggets and fries weren’t the healthiest option, even when she’d dumped a load of salad leaves on her plate with them, but she reasoned that she’d earned it after the stress of the past week.

Her phone buzzed with an incoming call from her grandma.

“Hey, gran,” Emma said as soon as she answered the call. “Did you like our song?”

“I loved it, honey,” Betsy said. “And tell Alyssa her choreography was marvellous.”

Emma laughed. “I will. Not that I don’t love it when you call, but isn’t it pretty late for you?”

“It is,” her grandma said, pausing for long enough to confuse Emma a little. “I… I actually have something I wanted to talk to you about. Or, I don’t know, make you aware of.”

“Is it those dumb paparazzi pictures?” Emma asked, rolling her eyes. “Because if this is going to lead to a comment about me and Alyssa then I don’t want to hear—”

“Your parents called me a few days ago,” Betsy interrupted.

Anything Emma was going to say died in her throat. Her mind went blank. “W-What?”

“I wanted to wait until after the show to tell you,” her grandma explained gently. “I didn’t want this to distract you.”

“How bad was it?” Emma asked, squeezing her eyes shut.

Betsy sighed heavily. “Emma…”

“Please tell me.”

“Okay,” her grandma paused again, and Emma braced herself. “Someone sent them the YouTube videos of your routines, and I guess they saw the pictures of you and Alyssa that you mentioned just now, because they called me raging about you supposedly making an example of yourself on national television.”

“Is that all?”

Betsy huffed. “Trust me, sweetheart, you don’t want to hear the details. The stuff they’ve been saying hasn’t changed much in the past eight years, I’m afraid.”

“So I guess I’m still an embarrassment, and a disgrace, and a sinner,” Emma said blankly.

“They’ve added ‘terrible example for impressionable children’ to the list,” Betsy said, anger lacing her voice now.

Emma closed her eyes, suddenly even more tired that she had been before. “Thank you for telling me. And for waiting to tell me. It’s been a tough week as it is.”

“Get some sleep,” her grandma advised. “And don’t think about them. It’s their loss. It has always been _their loss_, because you, Emma Nolan, are extraordinary.”

Emma wished that, someday, she could believe her.

* * *

“Hey,” Alyssa’s smile turned into a frown when she saw the dull look in Emma’s eyes. “What’s wrong? Emma?”

Emma smiled at her, but it looked forced. “I’m fine.”

Alyssa took her by the hand and pulled her aside, into the same dressing room they’d talked in last week.

“We’ll be called to places before long,” Emma warned.

“I don’t care,” Alyssa said. “Something’s not right.”

There was so much pain that suddenly appeared in Emma’s eyes that it brought a lump to Alyssa’s throat. Emma bit her lip before speaking again. “Alyssa, does your mom know you’re a lesbian?”

“She does.”

“How is she with it?”

Alyssa puffed out her cheeks. “To start with? Not great. And it took her a while, but now she’s actually pretty good about it.”

“Right,” Emma nodded, smiling bitterly. “See, my parents are still stuck in the ‘not great’ phase.”

Realization crashed over Alyssa. “Oh.”

“Apparently, they’ve seen our dances,” Emma said. “And, uh, they’re not too happy about what we’re doing here.”

“Oh, Emma,” Alyssa said, opening her arms up but not making any move to try and hug Emma if she didn’t want it. Emma, however, immediately sank into her embrace. Alyssa wondered suddenly if her parents’ disapproval was why Emma sometimes seemed to believe herself a burden. Pieces started to fit together in Alyssa’s head, and she screwed her eyes shut tight against the tears that suddenly threatened to fall.

“They kicked me out, Alyssa,” Emma said in a choked voice. “When I was sixteen. They haven’t—I haven’t spoken to them in person since. They just call my grandma sometimes to berate her and trash me in the process.”

Alyssa clung onto Emma tighter. “I’m so sorry. You don’t deserve any of that.”

“I’m okay,” Emma said, not sounding very convincing at all. “Really, I am. I just… I just don’t know why I ever expect them to change.”

An idea came to Alyssa in that moment. She didn’t know if it was a good idea or not, but she took a deep breath nonetheless. “Okay, so stop me if you think this is a terrible idea, and I promise I’ll never mention it again,” she said. “But, um, we have a Contemporary dance next week. If we can find a song to fit the theme… in my experience, dance is a really good way to express emotion – be it positive or negative.”

Emma pulled back from the hug with a confused expression on her face, wiping at her eyes. “What are you asking?”

“If you want to, we can put all of your feelings about your parents into a dance,” Alyssa said quietly. “Contemporary dance is story-driven, and it might help you to express anything you’ve kept locked inside. I know it’s helped me with some tough emotional stuff over the years.”

Emma’s mascara was smudged a little bit, and Alyssa reached up to wipe away the excess without even thinking about it. Emma leaned into her touch, just slightly, and Alyssa swallowed before continuing.

“It’s up to you.”

“Can I…” Emma hesitated. “Can I give you an answer later tonight? After the results show is over?”

“Of course,” Alyssa said gently. “It might not be something you want to do, and that’s okay. It would mean telling the country about your parents, even if you don’t explicitly state it in words, and that’s a big thing. If you don’t want to do it, then I’ll come up with a totally different story.”

“Okay,” Emma said. She let out a watery laugh. “God. We’re definitely going to be called to places soon, and I’m going to go out there looking like a total mess.”

“You look beautiful,” Alyssa said, her voice far too soft and the words slipping out far too easily. She bit her tongue, hoping that Emma couldn’t see right through her.

She was saved by a crew member poking her head into the dressing room and asking them to get to places, just as Emma had predicted. Alyssa, despite herself, laced their fingers together even before they left the room. And maybe she was being way too obvious about her feelings for Emma, but friends were allowed to hold hands like this. As long as Emma was comfortable with it, then surely it was fine.

But maybe she was just being selfish. Because they ended up being the first couple called as safe this week, and although Alyssa was relieved beyond belief that they were through to another week of competition, she was also a little disappointed that it meant Emma’s arms slipped from around her waist sooner. It meant that Alyssa didn’t have a good reason to play with the soft hair at the nape of Emma’s neck for as long.

She wasn’t distracted from the competition. She wasn’t.

Alyssa was surprised to see Emma waiting by her car as she left the television studios after she’d changed back into her street clothes. Her stomach flipped at seeing Emma wearing her glasses, looking warm and cosy in a thick sweater and with a nervous smile on her face.

“Hey,” Alyssa said. “Looks like I’ll be seeing you tomorrow for rehearsal, then.”

“I guess you will,” Emma said. “And, um, tomorrow I’ll tell you the full story about my parents, if you still want to use that as a story idea.”

Alyssa’s mouth fell open in surprise. “You want to do that?”

“Yes,” Emma looked determined. “They’ve treated me like shit my whole life. Other parents are out there treating their kids like shit, too. I want our dance to do something. To _say _something.”

“Okay,” Alyssa said, nodding decisively. “It’s up to you what you tell the camera in our video package, but we’ll work on the story, together, starting tomorrow.”

“Perfect,” Emma said. She pushed off of Alyssa’s car, but hesitated. “Thank you.”

“What for?”

Emma shifted on the spot, but her eyes didn’t leave Alyssa’s. “Everything.”

* * *

**kara {stream sword} **@emmasnolans: that jazz was so cute im?? and emma looks Good in a leather jacket just saying

**Betsy Nolan **@pwrtothegran: @emmasnolans She gets her looks from me.

**alice | 10 **@wooloowoo: i know its probs because theyve been dancing together for a while but emma and alyssa seem so much closer now

**freddie **@sapphicsamba: @wooloowoo thank god im not the only one thinking it

**alice | 10 **@wooloowoo: @sapphicsamba i mean they LITERALLY took a nap together this week so,,, mayhaps there is actually something going on

**single corn chip **@drizzlybear: WHOS READY FOR MF DISNEY WEEK

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!!! and, yes, next chapter is disney week which you may or may not have guessed from the song on the playlist!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay!! it's been A Week dsjkdskj but here's chapter 5 and it looks as if i'm back on my 12k chapter bullshit once more so enjoy!

Chapter Five: Disney Week

* * *

**i’m too tired to listen / i’m too old to believe / all these childish stories **

**there is no such thing as faith / and trust / and pixie dust**

* * *

“Hey,” Emma greeted, as Alyssa walked through the door of the studio. “Thanks for meeting me a bit earlier today.”

“Of course,” Alyssa gave her an easy smile, and Emma melted a little bit. “I’m just glad I get to be included this week.”

She said it lightly, but Emma’s gut still twisted with guilt over how much worry she’d caused her last week. “I, um… I brought food for us. Since I’m guessing you came straight from group rehearsal.”

Emma held out the bag of food she’d picked up on her way over. Technically, it was still a bit early for lunch, but she’d picked up sandwiches and snacks for the two of them so that they wouldn’t have to go looking for lunch and stop rehearsal in its tracks.

“Emma…” Alyssa’s face lit up. “That’s really sweet.”

“Yeah, well,” Emma shrugged, eyes on the floor. “It was the least I could do.”

“I’m actually starving,” Alyssa confessed. “So, how about we eat, and then whatever you want to share… we can start making a story from that.”

Emma nodded, sitting cross-legged on the floor as Alyssa came to join her. “I just hope we can fit a shitty childhood and parental rejection into the magical fun of Disney week.”

“Disney princesses like Cinderella had a pretty bad time of it to start with,” Alyssa reasoned. “The magic will come from finding the light at the end of the tunnel.”

“I guess… yeah, actually,” Emma said thoughtfully, taking a bite of her sandwich. She hadn’t really looked at it from that perspective. And maybe her life wasn’t a Disney movie, or even close, but surely there would be elements of her past and present that Alyssa could translate into movement while still matching the week’s theme. She just hoped that they could find the perfect song from the Disney catalogue; she couldn’t think of many that fit in with her general idea of what the Contemporary dance style was.

They ate in comfortable silence, Emma lost in her own head. She wasn’t sure how she felt about telling a version of her story on television. Throughout her career so far, she hadn’t ever gone into detail about her childhood. She hadn’t really mentioned her parents in any interviews; only her grandmother. But this was important. Because she wasn’t the only one who had gone through this.

“Okay,” Alyssa cleared her throat once they were both done eating. “Whenever you’re ready.”

“Well, I guess as a little kid everything was pretty much fine,” Emma said, taking a deep breath. “It was only really when I got to middle school and started figuring out that there was a word for who I was and how I felt… I didn’t tell anyone, but it was like my parents already somehow knew. No, not knew. _Suspected_. Like I was doing something wrong.”

She frowned, looking up from her hands to meet Alyssa’s brown eyes, wide in concern and unwavering in their gentle gaze.

“Anyway, I must’ve been too obvious and they started not-so-subtly trying to push me into being more feminine. Less of a tomboy,” Emma shrugged. “Didn’t work. I didn’t know entirely what I was meant to have done wrong, but I knew from then that I wasn’t the kid they’d had in mind when they’d decided they wanted a baby. They were… vocally homophobic, even back then, and so even when I’d discovered this incredible part of myself… I didn’t tell them. I didn’t tell anyone except for my grandma.”

Emma saw Alyssa cautiously reaching out to rest a hand on her knee. She was grateful for the touch, grounding her and reminding her that Alyssa was there. She sighed, pausing before continuing.

“When I was sixteen, I… I don’t want to say I came out to them, because I didn’t mean to, but…” Emma swallowed, “I slipped up and mentioned a girl I had a crush on in front of them, and then I just kept _talking_. They, um, didn’t take it so well.”

“Emma…”

“There was so much yelling,” Emma murmured, seeing her own pain reflected back at her in Alyssa’s face. “I don’t even remember most of the specifics of what they said, is that weird? All I remember are words like ‘sinner’ and ‘disgrace’; stuff like that. Everything they’d been wanting to spit at me for God only knows how many years. And then they kicked me out. Just like that.”

“Did you go to your grandma’s?” Alyssa asked, her voice a whisper.

Emma nodded. “Yeah. I had my car, so I could get away. I drove straight to my grandma’s house, and it was like she knew what had happened before I told her. Makes me wonder if she’d been preparing for it. I lived with her until I graduated, and then I got the hell out of Indiana.”

“Where did you go?”

“San Francisco, at first,” Emma said, a tiny smile quirking her lips. “It was so different. Then once I started getting noticed for my music, I moved to New York for a couple of years. Performed at a lot of bars, and then bigger venues. Released an album. Realized I was always going to be out-sung by Broadway actors.” Emma laughed a little. “And then, about seven months ago, I moved here and then got cast on the show.”

Alyssa’s thumb was stroking her leg through the fabric of her clothes. “You said yesterday that you hadn’t spoken to your parents in person since they threw you out.”

“No, I just get the second-hand verbal abuse,” Emma said with a rueful smile. “They call my gran sometimes when they’re feeling particularly angry. She didn’t used to tell me, but I’m glad she does now.”

“She seems like an amazing woman.”

“She is,” Emma said, tears finally springing to her eyes. “She was the only one in my corner, but she made it count.”

Alyssa bit down hard on her bottom lip. “Can I hug you?”

Emma nodded, and then Alyssa pushed herself forward and threw her arms around Emma’s shoulders. She was off-balance, but Emma caught her; arms wrapping around her back to keep her steady. And to keep her close. Emma closed her eyes as she felt Alyssa’s hair tickle her face, letting out a long breath.

She’d told a few people this story over the years, of course; a friend here, a girlfriend there, but the words had never come so easily as they had when it had been Alyssa she’d been telling it to. She didn’t know quite what to make of that.

“So, uh,” she muttered close to Alyssa’s ear. “Any way you can turn that into a dance?”

Alyssa pulled back from the hug, but didn’t move from where she was practically in Emma’s lap. Her face was very close to Emma’s, and it was making Emma a little dizzy. Alyssa gave her a small smile.

“In an abstract way, I think I can.”

“Wait, you have an idea already?” Emma asked.

“Sort of?” Alyssa’s expression was thoughtful. “I was thinking we could get a couple of dancers from the troupe to help us. To be the representation of everything that was holding you back.”

Emma hummed, contemplating the idea. “Okay. So, if I’m me in the dance, then who are you going to be?”

“Well, um…” Alyssa trailed off, almost like she was embarrassed. “The only thing I could think of was for me to be the representation of what you wanted. What you were being held back from.”

“Oh.” Emma’s mouth went dry.

“Just from, like, a story perspective,” Alyssa said quickly. “I didn’t mean to imply that you _wanted _me, I just… God, I’m explaining this so badly.”

“Hey, Alyssa, it’s okay,” Emma reassured her, even as she could feel her own cheeks burning. “I understood what you meant.”

And even though she knew Alyssa hadn’t meant it to sound like it was her specifically that she wanted, Emma couldn’t help but be flustered. Because it was completely true. It _was _Alyssa that she wanted; Emma’s feelings for her were only growing, and this…

Emma refused to let herself look at Alyssa’s lips. She refused to let herself enjoy how close together they still were. They were just friends. This was about a dance. Nothing more.

Needing to break the sudden weird tension, Emma laughed weakly. “How the fuck are we going to find a song for this?”

“About that,” Alyssa said, finally drawing back from Emma and sitting on the floor again. Emma tried not to miss the contact. “I may have one in mind.”

Emma just gaped. “Your brain is an amazing thing, Alyssa Greene.”

* * *

Alyssa couldn’t stop thinking about the first Contemporary rehearsal.

Even the next morning, in the middle of the elaborate group routine rehearsal, her mind was still on Emma, and their dance, and their song. She knew her distraction so far hadn’t gone unnoticed, either. Shelby was definitely onto her. Maybe Jules, too. Both Kevin and Kaylee, however, paid her no attention. Kevin was focused completely on his dancing, and Kaylee was off in her own world. She looked a little troubled to Alyssa, just for a moment, and then it passed and Kaylee’s face was frustratingly impassive.

Alyssa’s thoughts went back to Emma. It seemed to her that Emma did better with the slower dances, especially if she could connect to them emotionally. She’d already been connected to their Waltz song, and although she wasn’t as familiar with their Contemp song, it was her story they were telling with the dance.

The song. It had come to Alyssa in a weird flash, pulled from her subconscious or her memories of watching the _Peter Pan _movies years ago and wishing that she could fly out of her window and not have to grow up. _I’ll Try_, from _Return to Never Land_, was perhaps one of the only Disney songs that would truly work for the dance style they’d been given. Alyssa would’ve found a different story if she had to, but using Emma’s experiences as inspiration was admittedly kind of perfect. Alyssa just hoped that she wasn’t doing anything that secretly made Emma uncomfortable, even though Emma had assured her that she would speak up if she didn’t want something to be put in the routine – emotional or practical.

Especially seeing as, for the first time, Alyssa was including lifts in her choreography.

They hadn’t actually practiced them the previous day, instead choosing to focus on the basics of the Contemporary style and getting Emma to loosen up and move her body in a different way than how she’d been taught before now, as well as introducing chunks of the choreo. The lifts would be added in today, all being well.

“Did you know you’ve been standing there for the past two minutes?” Shelby’s voice broke through Alyssa’s thoughts. “Like, everyone else is packing up.”

“Oh,” Alyssa said, abruptly coming back to reality. “Right. Um, yeah.”

Shelby arched an eyebrow at her. “You looked like a video game character whose controller went to the bathroom and left you standing there looking like a dumbass.”

“I think you’re on the wrong career path, Shelbs,” Alyssa said, glaring at her. “Clearly, stand-up comedy is much more your speed.”

“Hey, if it weren’t for me, you’d still be standing there with mii channel music in your head.”

“I was thinking about Emma,” Alyssa snapped at her, realizing her mistake immediately when Shelby’s expression lit up. “Wait, I meant I was thinking about our dance this week, not—”

“Nope, no takebacks,” Shelby said gleefully. “So. Did you two finally fuck?”

Alyssa choked, heat rushing to her face. “_No_.”

“Please tell me you’ve at least kissed,” Shelby pressed.

“No, Shelby, we haven’t kissed,” Alyssa said tersely. “And keep your voice down. We’re not—it’s not like that.”

Shelby regarded her curiously, not put off by Alyssa’s hostility. “Do you want it to be like that?”

“I—” Alyssa floundered as Shelby saw right through her. “Yes and no.”

“Okay,” Shelby said slowly. “I might need you to explain that a little more.”

Alyssa checked to see that no-one was listening in, before sighing and taking a step towards Shelby. “I have feelings for Emma.”

“Well, yeah,” Shelby said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You already told me you’re attracted to her, remember?”

“No, this is different,” Alyssa said. “I’ve always been attracted to her, even before I let myself think it, but… there was this moment. When we were rehearsing our Waltz. I told Emma the real reason we got paired together, and then we decided to change our choreo to make it more…”

“Intimate?”

Alyssa swallowed, nodding once. “Yeah. And when we were running through the amended routine, there was this look in her eyes that just… I don’t even know, Shelby, but I realized that I wanted her in a way that was different than before.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “It’s harder like this, because I can’t use the dances as an excuse anymore. I like her. I _really _like her.”

“I still don’t understand the ‘no’ part of your answer,” Shelby said, sarcasm long gone. “You have feelings for her, so why don’t you date her?”

“Aside from the fact that she doesn’t like me back?”

Shelby opened her mouth, and then closed it again. “We’re gonna come back to that, believe me. But right now I want to know why you don’t want to date her.”

“Because I don’t want to fuck this all up,” Alyssa admitted in a small voice. “If I let myself get distracted, then we’ll both lose focus and we’ll _lose_. I know it’s just a dumb reality show, but I want to win, Shelby. I want _Emma _to win.”

“You can have the trophy and still have Emma,” Shelby said, like it was the simplest thing in the world. To her, maybe it was. But the way Alyssa had been raised… the priorities her mother had drilled into her head from an early age… It just couldn’t happen at the same time.

“I wouldn’t want it to look like a showmance or a stupid ratings stunt, Shelbs. Maybe after the competition, things will be different,” she shrugged. “Or maybe all the chemistry people have been telling me about is just on the dance floor.”

“You don’t believe that,” Shelby said flatly. “You’re smarter than that, Alyssa. Speaking of, what’s with this belief that Emma doesn’t like you back?”

“Shelby…” Alyssa said, a warning in her voice. She was starting to feel like she shouldn’t have said anything in the first place. “She just doesn’t, okay?”

“Fine, be blind,” Shelby said, her voice hardening. Her eyes bore into Alyssa’s own. “But at least _you _have a chance. Don’t waste it on skewed priorities and a lack of brain cells.”

Surprised by the sudden intense look that had crossed her friend’s face, Alyssa didn’t stop Shelby when she turned on her heel and walked away. She watched her go, a confused frown creasing her forehead. Her voice was a whisper when she spoke again, to an empty room.

“What do you mean, at least _I _have a chance?”

* * *

“Okay, are you ready?”

Emma nodded, not feeling ready in the slightest. Alyssa stood about twenty feet away from her, looking at Emma carefully. This lift was the scariest one in the routine, from Emma’s point of view, because the risk factor for Alyssa was higher. If Emma didn’t catch her…

“It’ll be fine, Emma,” Alyssa continued. “We went through the logistics and the hand placement, remember?”

“Yeah. I’m ready,” Emma said, her voice shaking a little.

Alyssa rocked back on her heel before bursting into a run, heading straight for Emma. The closer she got, the more Emma’s heart pounded in her chest. Oh, God, what if she dropped Alyssa and she got hurt? She’d never be able to forgive herself if she was the reason Alyssa got hurt.

The idea was for Alyssa to take a flying leap from the short flight of steps stretching the length of the short side of the dance floor into Emma’s arms. Emma was supposed to catch her with one arm around her back and the other under her legs, bridal style, before spinning them both around as the music hit the final chorus. Since they didn’t have the steps in the rehearsal studio, they were practicing on flat ground to start with.

Alyssa was running full tilt towards her, and suddenly Emma forgot what she was meant to be doing with her arms. “Wait!”

Immediately, Alyssa slammed the brakes on, skidding to a stop and colliding with Emma. Recovering from her momentary loss of balance, Emma’s hands braced themselves against Alyssa’s upper arms to steady them both. She looked at Alyssa apologetically.

“I’m so sorry. I panicked.”

“Emma, it’s okay,” Alyssa said, holding onto Emma’s waist, which she’d used to help herself stop when they collided. “It’s better that you bottled it before I took off.”

“I can’t do this,” Emma said suddenly. “I’m going to hurt you. You’re turning in mid-air; you can’t see where you’re going to land and if I’m not there to catch you—”

“You will be.”

Emma shook her head. “But what if I’m not? What if I stand in the wrong place? Or I blank and forget where my arms are meant to go, and I drop you?”

Alyssa looked up at her slightly; she was a little shorter now as both of them were barefoot for this dance, and her eyes flickered between Emma’s own searchingly. Emma didn’t know what Alyssa was looking for, but whatever it was, she seemed to find it. A small smile graced her lips.

“I trust you,” she said.

“But—”

“I trust you, Emma Nolan,” Alyssa said, firmer this time.

Emma glanced down, the steady eye contact becoming too much. “Why?”

“Because,” Alyssa said quietly, “you’re the most considerate person I’ve ever met. And because even when your hands start to shake, they’re somehow still steady.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Emma mumbled.

Alyssa groaned. “I know, I just… I’m trying to say that I know you’re scared about messing it up and hurting me, but I want you to know that I always feel safe when I’m dancing with you. I wouldn’t have put this lift in if I didn’t.”

Emma just swallowed, chancing a glance back up to Alyssa’s face. Her expression was gentle and earnest, honesty reflecting in her eyes, and Emma found herself believing her. Alyssa held her gaze.

“Do you trust me?”

“I trust you,” Emma said quietly. “Completely.”

“Then believe me when I say I’m not worried about this lift,” Alyssa said. “I know you’ll always be there to catch me, I just do.”

Clearing her throat, Emma looked away and nodded. She willed herself not to blush in front of Alyssa yet again, because it was surely starting to be beyond obvious how she really felt. She dropped her hands from Alyssa’s arms, letting her back up into her starting position ready for another attempt.

“You’ve got this,” Alyssa told her. “Are you ready?”

Emma steeled herself. “Yes.”

Alyssa grinned at her, rocking back on her heel again and taking off into a powerful sprint towards her. Somehow, she was still the most graceful person Emma had ever seen. When she reached the right spot, Alyssa pushed off hard from the floor with one foot, arcing through the air and twisting her body so that she was almost flying backwards. Emma’s arms came up to catch her and, a second later, Alyssa was landing safely in her arms.

It wasn’t as big of a stunt as it would be come Monday night’s show, but it was a start, and Emma felt a little giddy as she whirled around with Alyssa’s arms linking behind her neck as she prepared for their next transition.

Once they’d gotten to the end of the section, Emma set Alyssa down on the ground. Her arms were around Alyssa’s waist, and Alyssa’s were around her neck. For a moment, they just held each other, and all Emma felt was exhilaration. Then she remembered that she should probably let Alyssa go, and released her quickly. Alyssa’s hands slid down Emma’s arms, a blinding smile on her face.

“You did it!”

“I did it,” Emma repeated. “Holy shit, that was amazing.”

“I told you that you could do it,” Alyssa said proudly. “And, if anything, it’ll be easier on the actual dance floor with the steps because there’ll be more air time for you to get ready.”

Emma nodded. “That works. I can do that.”

“You sure can,” Alyssa said. “Wanna try the whole routine now?”

“Yeah,” Emma said, straightening her back. “Let’s give it a try.”

* * *

Alyssa collapsed, exhausted, on Emma’s couch. “Bring me the popcorn.”

“Yes, your majesty,” Emma said, amusement evident in her voice, and then a big plastic bowl was being set on Alyssa’s lap. Emma sank down onto the couch next to her. “Although, it really has been a long day, so I don’t know why you want to hang out with me more.”

“It’s a Friday night and I was feeling sociable,” Alyssa shrugged, starting to shovel popcorn into her mouth. “And because I thought it might be nice to come over and watch the movie our song is from.”

“Alyssa Greene, are you suggesting we watch the sequel and skip the original?”

Glaring weakly across at Emma, Alyssa pretended to consider it. If they watched both movies, then that meant she could stay longer. “No. I’m suggesting we do a Disney double feature.”

“That’s more like it.”

They settled in to watch the original _Peter Pan, _and even though Alyssa had seen it multiple times, she still found herself getting lost in the magic of it. About two thirds of the way through, she glanced over to see Emma watching her curiously. Alyssa tilted her head against the couch cushions.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Oh, I just…” Emma looked a little embarrassed to have been caught staring. “You’re just way more invested in the movie than you were last time.”

Alyssa just looked at her. “Last time we were watching _Twilight_.”

“Okay, fair point,” Emma laughed. “So, what is it about _Peter Pan_?”

“You really wanna know?” Alyssa furrowed her brow.

Emma nodded earnestly. “I wanna know more about you. We kind of only really talked about me.”

“Well, it _is _your story we’re telling,” Alyssa reasoned. “But, um, I can tell you about me, if you want.”

“You told me earlier this week that your mom got better about you being a lesbian,” Emma said. She didn’t seem jealous or the slightest bit bitter, which helped relax Alyssa.

“Yeah, she… I think she knew long before I told her,” Alyssa said. “She put so many expectations on me – still does, really – and none of those plans she had involved me loving women. Every time I tried to come out to her, she’d shut me down. Eventually, I’d had enough and I just… came out. I was eighteen.”

“How long did it take for things to start getting better?”

“A while,” Alyssa admitted. “I knew that she loved me, at least, but I’m not sure she really knew how badly she was hurting me. Once she saw how happy I was in myself after I came out, though… I think that’s when it started to click that this was what was best for me. It took her a while, and she’s still learning things, but she put in the effort and I love her for it.”

Emma smiled. “She seems interesting.”

“That’s one word for her,” Alyssa laughed a little. “No, I do love her, but she’s never really lost the overbearing nature she had all the way through my school career. I was forced to grow up a lot faster than I wanted to, with all these responsibilities weighing me down. It got bad when my dad left, like if she could make me into this perfect human being, then he might somehow change his mind and come back.”

Alyssa paused thoughtfully, startling a little when she felt Emma’s hand on her arm. “How long ago was that?”

“I was twelve,” Alyssa whispered quietly. “You know, when mom would get too much, I’d sit in my room and watch these movies. I just wanted that to be me so badly. No responsibilities, no growing up. Plus, I’d get to fly,” she joked, but her voice came out weak. “She wasn’t too thrilled when I told her I wanted to be a dancer. I went to Columbia, but I kept dancing and eventually I got the job on the show and moved here a couple years ago. She’s happier about my career path now that I _have _a job, but she won’t stop reminding me how important that job is and how I can’t afford to lose focus.”

She left out the part about her mom suspecting that she was getting distracted from the competition by Emma. There were some things that she didn’t need to tell her. Emma’s thumb brushed over the skin on her arm. “It sounds like you’re still under a lot of pressure.”

“Yeah, I guess I am,” Alyssa murmured, feeling very overwhelmed all of a sudden. “I didn’t… I didn’t fully realize how much it still affects me.”

“If it’s any consolation, you’re doing an amazing job teaching me how to dance,” Emma told her.

Alyssa bit her lip, Emma’s words barely registering as she retreated into herself. God, maybe things with her mother hadn’t changed as much as she’d thought they had. Maybe she was still stuck under the weight of all the expectations on her shoulders. Maybe it would always be like that and she would never be able to have what she wanted.

“Alyssa?” Emma’s voice sounded far away.

Alyssa forced herself to focus in on Emma, who was looking at her in concern. “Hm?”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m—I’m—” Alyssa blinked rapidly, trying to slow her breathing down. She hadn’t even realized how much it had sped up. “I’m fine, I just… Em?”

Emma’s hand rubbed her arm gently. “Yeah? What do you need?”

“Can you just distract me?” Alyssa asked.

“Yeah, of course,” Emma said, scooting closer and opening her arms up. Alyssa immediately sank into her embrace, grateful for the physical comfort Emma was offering her. “Oh, I can talk to you about my grandma, if you want? If we get through this week she’s gonna come to watch the live show next week.”

Alyssa closed her eyes when one of Emma’s hands started mindlessly stroking her hair, letting her words wash over her keep her calm. Although, it had less to do with the words and more to do with just hearing Emma’s voice, and feeling the warmth of her body against Alyssa’s own.

Emma’s voice was quiet, their heads close together as Alyssa relaxed into her more. She wondered if she should feel embarrassed about this. She probably would later, but right now she was just even more tired than she had been five minutes ago. And Emma was warm, and comfortable, and her voice was so soft and soothing that Alyssa felt the real world get further and further away. Emma’s fingertips brushed against her scalp, and Alyssa sighed.

Distantly, she wondered if it was possible for Emma to play with her hair forever.

“Alyssa?”

Lifting her head from where it had been resting on Emma’s shoulder, Alyssa opened her eyes only to be faced with the blue screen of the television. The movie was clearly over. Had she fallen asleep? She looked up at Emma, who seemed a little disorientated.

“What time is it?” she asked, around a yawn.

Emma checked her phone. “Almost two in the morning.”

Her voice was a little scratchy, and it made Alyssa’s stomach flutter. Then she realized what Emma said. She’d been asleep for about three hours. “Wait, seriously? You didn’t have to let me fall asleep on you for that long.”

“I, um, I guess I fell asleep, too,” Emma said softly. She straightened her crooked glasses. “Sorry.”

“No, don’t be sorry,” Alyssa said, quick to reassure her. “I just… God, I’m so tired. I should get home.”

“Alyssa, I don’t think you should be driving this tired,” Emma reasoned. “You can… you can just stay here, if you want.”

Alyssa’s heart felt like it skipped a beat, even as her eyelids were growing heavy again. “Okay. I’ll take the couch. You should go to bed, though.”

“My couch isn’t the best for sleeping on,” Emma said. “Plus, you’re a professional dancer. Your body is your instrument, or whatever phrase it is. I’m not going to let you mess your back up or something by sleeping on this thing. You take my bed, and I’ll sleep here.”

“You _just _told me your couch isn’t good to sleep on,” Alyssa mumbled tiredly. “And it’s your place. I’m not going to force you out of your own bed.”

Emma frowned. “Well, I’m not going to make you sleep on the couch.”

“I’m not going to make _you _sleep on the couch.”

Alyssa knew that she was perhaps being a little petty, but she felt bad enough about falling asleep on Emma as it was. She wasn’t about to displace the poor woman from her own bed as well. Emma just narrowed her eyes at Alyssa, although the effect was somewhat ruined by how unfocused her gaze was.

“Fine,” Emma said slowly. “I guess we can share.”

Alyssa’s forehead creased as her brain tried to keep up. “The couch?”

“No, the bed,” Emma said. She glanced away.

“Right, I knew that,” Alyssa muttered, ignoring the nerves that started to claw at her insides at the thought of sharing a bed with Emma. It wasn’t like they’d never napped together, so she didn’t see why it should be any different just because they would be in a bed. “Okay, fine.”

Emma tried and failed to stifle a yawn. “Do you want to borrow some clothes?”

“No. Too tired to change,” Alyssa sighed, her head lolling onto Emma’s shoulder once more. “Got m’ sweatpants on anyways.”

“Okay,” Emma said. “Can you get up?”

Sighing heavily, Alyssa forced herself to stand. She was barely aware of where Emma was leading her, not being that familiar with the geography of her apartment yet, and so it came as a dull surprise when she found herself in a decently-sized bedroom what felt like almost immediately. She collapsed onto the bed, her eyes closing and a happy little groan leaving her when she felt how comfortable Emma’s mattress was.

“G’night, Em,” she slurred, feeling herself drifting off again almost immediately.

The bed dipped as Emma sat down beside her. Alyssa thought she felt some loose curls of hair being brushed back from her face.

“Goodnight, Lys.”

* * *

Emma awoke, feeling far more well-rested than she had in a long time, and went to stretch her legs beneath the sheets. Her eyes were still closed, but they shot open when her legs brushed against something. She blinked a few times, the pictures on the wall across from her out of focus without her glasses, but she immediately knew what she’d come into contact with, crystal clear.

Alyssa was curled into her side, still very much asleep, with her legs resting lightly against Emma’s through the fabric of their clothes. Her head was almost on Emma’s shoulder, not unlike it had been when they’d fallen asleep on the couch the previous night, and her arm was thrown over Emma’s stomach. The more Emma became aware of their position, the faster her heartbeat got. The hotter her face felt. The more her mind raced.

Butterflies were fluttering in her stomach as she looked at Alyssa. She looked so peaceful; her hair was a mess of curls on the pillow and her breaths were even and steady. She looked so beautiful that Emma didn’t even know if she had the words for it. She swallowed thickly. This was probably bad.

It didn’t feel bad.

Reaching for her phone while trying to keep the rest of her body as still as possible, Emma squinted as she tried to make out the numbers on the screen that would tell her what time it was. Once it registered in her brain, her eyes widened.

“Alyssa, wake up,” she said, gently nudging the arm lain across her torso. “C’mon, you’re gonna be late.”

Alyssa hummed under her breath, her arm tightening as she sighed sleepily. She turned her head further into the pillow. It was ridiculously adorable, but Emma didn’t think Alyssa would thank her for lying there like a dumbstruck idiot, so she squeezed her upper arm firmly.

“Alyssa.”

“Hm?” Alyssa cracked one eye open, looking up at Emma but not looking like she was actually registering her presence for a moment. And then, all at once, everything seemed to click into place. Her head shot up from the pillow, and she quickly moved her arm so that it wasn’t draped over Emma anymore. Emma tried not to miss it. “What time is it?”

“Just past nine-thirty,” Emma said, tilting the phone screen so that Alyssa could see it.

Alyssa’s eyes widened. “Shit. I have rehearsal in thirty minutes!”

“It’s okay, you’ll make it,” Emma said. “I think I’m closer to the studio you guys rehearse in then you are.”

She was trying to distract herself from how nice and how _natural _it had felt to wake up with Alyssa like that. Like they’d done it a million times before. Like she always slept that well. Like they were more than friends. If Alyssa knew what she was thinking…

Alyssa threw the covers back and stood up, only wobbling slightly at the speed with which she’d gotten out of bed. She was still wearing last night’s clothes – sweatpants and a comfy t shirt; not exactly her usual dancing attire – and Emma just hoped that they’d suffice for rehearsal because she was short on laundry again herself and couldn’t offer her any spare. Besides, Alyssa looked to be in too much of a hurry to even think about changing.

Emma got out of bed, too, grabbing her glasses from the nightstand and following Alyssa through to the living room. “You won’t be late,” she said reassuringly.

“I know, I know, I’m just remembering the last time I was late to group rehearsal,” Alyssa said, gathering her things together. “Nobody else has been late more than once and I’m not about to be the first. I can’t let that be who they think I am.”

“Nobody’s going to think that,” Emma said, taking a few steps closer. “They all know how hard you work and how seriously you take your job.”

Alyssa smiled ruefully. “I really am sorry for crashing here.”

“What? No, don’t be ridiculous,” Emma said, a little confused until she realized that Alyssa clearly thought she’d put her out. “I didn’t mind.”

“Okay,” Alyssa said, still not looking completely convinced. “I’ll get our lunch today, though. As a thank you for, you know, your hospitality.”

Emma snorted, trying to hide how warm her face still was. “Deal. I’ll see you later.”

“See you,” Alyssa said, shooting her a surprisingly awake smile before slipping out of the front door and leaving Emma alone.

Emma stood for a moment, looking blankly at the door, and then a wave of panic crashed over her. Waking up cuddled with Alyssa shouldn’t have felt that easy. It was dangerous, because if Alyssa knew how Emma felt about her then it would only open up a whole bunch of problems. And personal problems were the last thing they both needed, Emma knew that much. They were a team, only that team definitely wouldn’t work with unrequited feelings involved.

Internalizing it was only making it worse. Maybe if she…

Taking a deep breath, Emma clicked on a contact in her phone, hoping she was making the right decision in calling. She held the phone up to her ear as it rang, closing her eyes and not quite knowing if she was hoping the call would go to voicemail or not. Eventually, though, it was answered.

“Why are you calling me the one morning I actually try to sleep in?”

Carrie sounded mildly irritated, but Emma knew that she wasn’t actually mad. Besides, she needed to get this out to somebody besides her grandma, who didn’t even know the full extent of what she was feeling. Carrie sighed impatiently.

“Are you going to keep breathing into my ear or are you going to tell me the reason for your call?” she asked.

Emma took another deep breath before the words came tumbling out. “I like Alyssa. I mean, I have _feelings _for her. She crashed at my place last night and I woke up next to her and now I’m feeling even more feelings and she’s the most gorgeous person I’ve ever seen. Help me, please.”

For a long moment, there was just silence on the other end of the line. Emma screwed her eyes shut tighter, wondering if she’d broken Carrie’s brain with all of that. Finally, Carrie spoke, her voice calm and matter-of-fact.

“Glad to see you’ve finally acquired a brain,” she said. “Now, start from the beginning. Tell me everything.”

* * *

The note Alyssa had been planning to give Emma died on her lips when her feet touched solid ground again. Emma’s arms were wrapped securely around her waist, keeping the two of them pressed close together, Alyssa’s hands sliding down her arms like they always did. The big lift was coming along nicely, but there were still things that needed to be smoothed out before camera blocking the next day. That wasn’t what got her attention though.

Hands just above Emma’s elbows, Alyssa glanced up at her. “Did you get stronger?”

Her muscles definitely felt more defined than they had done, at any rate. Emma blinked a couple of times in confusion.

“I don’t know,” she said. “The lifts feel easier, I guess, but I haven’t been working out on the side or anything.”

Alyssa hummed thoughtfully, squeezing Emma’s arms once before realizing what she was doing and snapping out of it. Her face grew hot as she took a step back and cleared her throat. “I’m glad,” she said. “That you’re finding the lifts easier, I mean.”

“Yeah,” Emma said absentmindedly, poking at her own bicep and raising her eyebrows in surprise. “I told Darlene I was feeling stronger but I guess I really am.”

Alyssa wondered how it was she hadn’t noticed before, because Emma’s progress had definitely been a gradual thing as opposed to an overnight miracle. Why did things feel so different today? Maybe it was a side-effect of sleeping over at Emma’s place, in Emma’s bed, with Emma. Maybe it was starting to make her feel like she was allowed to be this familiar with her.

Was she allowed?

“You’re one to talk, though,” Emma said suddenly, gesturing vaguely at Alyssa. “You’re, like, ripped.”

Alyssa’s heart rate quickened, even though Emma’s tone couldn’t be more innocent. “Yeah, but I’ve been doing this for years so that’s expected,” she said quickly. “I think dancing is changing your body. Not that you weren’t hot before, of course, because you were, but you’re also hot now and—”

Emma’s eyebrows shot up and Alyssa clapped a hand over her mouth, not quite believing what she’d just said. She’d just outright admitted that she thought Emma was hot. And now she was making it worse by looking so stunned at her own words. God, had waking up next to Emma like that really thrown her this much?

“Sorry,” she squeaked.

“It’s okay,” Emma said slowly. “I mean, I was cool with my body before all this and I’m cool with it now, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

“Yeah, it was,” Alyssa said, taking the out and pretending that she’d been worried about causing offense rather than practically letting her feelings slip. “Anyway, uh, the stronger you are the smoother the lifts will be so… good job.”

She was saved from cringing too hard by the arrival of the two-man camera crew to film their video package for that week. Emma’s shoulders raised slightly, because she clearly knew what that meant, and Alyssa was actually pretty grateful for the interruption because now she could focus on making sure that Emma was only sharing what she felt comfortable with, instead of being so… distracted.

Alyssa stood next to the camera as Emma talked, and the raw honesty in her voice as she shared parts of what she’d told her a few days ago making Alyssa a little emotional. Emma was so brave talking like this when she knew it would be broadcast nationwide – including to her parents themselves – and Alyssa only hoped that her choreography lived up to everything Emma wanted and needed this dance to be.

She deserved at least that much.

* * *

“How did camera blocking go?” was the first thing Betsy asked when Emma called her on Sunday evening.

Emma grinned. “Really well, actually. Alyssa was right about the running jump lift; it’s easier when she jumps from the steps.”

“I can’t wait to tune in and see it,” her grandma said. “But is it wrong that I’m almost more excited for your parents to see it and get slapped in the face by what you’re saying?”

“No, that’s perfectly understandable,” Emma said. “You’ve had to put up with their shit, too.”

“I just want them to realize how wrong they’ve been all these years,” Betsy said, letting out a sigh. “I know it’s not likely, given how far my son has his head up his ass, but you deserve some sort of resolution.”

Emma bit her lip. “It’s a nice thought, but that’s not why I’m doing it.”

“I know, darling,” Betsy’s voice was warm. “You’re way too selfless for that.”

“Shut up,” Emma said affectionately. “Besides, I don’t think it would make me selfish at all. It’s just… not my reason. I’ve moved past them. This dance is gonna be for me, and for every other person out there who’s been rejected for who they are. God, does that sound cheesy?”

“Not to me.”

“It’s cheesy,” Emma decided. “I just hope the actual dance goes well tomorrow. Contemporary is so different from any of the other styles we do on the show.”

“Well, you are definitely a contender, Emma Nolan,” Betsy said proudly. “So I think you’re gonna be just fine.”

Emma snorted. “A contender? No, I don’t think so.”

“Don’t get all modest on me,” Betsy said warningly. “If you can’t see how good you’re getting then I think we need to get you better glasses.”

“I’m being serious, gran.”

“So am I,” Betsy told her. “People are noticing you, and not just because you have the best professional partner out of everyone.”

An automatic smile spread across Emma’s face at the thought of Alyssa. “I do have the best dance partner, don’t I?”

“And she has the best celebrity partner.”

“I wish I had your confidence,” Emma joked, even as she got a little embarrassed under the praise. “God, I really hope we make it through this week. I want you to be able to see me dance live.”

“Careful,” Betsy said with a chuckle. “It’s starting to sound as if you like dancing.”

Emma considered it for a second. “I think I really do. I didn’t expect to, but…”

She trailed off, and there was silence on the other end of the line. Emma could tell that her grandma was grinning, though. She could always tell.

“Well, honey, have fun tomorrow,” Betsy said eventually. Her voice was soft. “I know the subject is heavy, so remember to enjoy it.”

“I’ll do my best,” Emma said. “I love you, gran. I can’t wait to see you next week.”

“I love you, too, Emma,” Betsy said. “More than you could ever imagine.”

* * *

“Can we talk?” Alyssa asked quietly, walking up to where Shelby was standing at the edge of the dance floor. She was watching Nick and Kaylee’s dress run – the two of them being the first couple to dance on this week’s show – and looking on in vague distaste at the _Beauty and the Beast _costumes they were wearing.

“You wanna talk about why the hell these morons seem to think the love story in this movie is between Belle and Gaston?” Shelby questioned shortly, not looking at Alyssa.

Things had been weird ever since Shelby had stalked away from her on Thursday, and Alyssa still wasn’t sure exactly what had caused Shelby’s sudden shift in mood. It was frustrating, not only because Shelby was one of her best friends, but because the pieces were coming together in Alyssa’s head far too slowly. She knew there was something that wasn’t clicking. Something big.

“No,” she said, shifting on the spot. “I just… are you okay, Shelby?”

Shelby’s jaw tightened minutely. “I’m fine. Why?”

“It’s just that we’ve barely spoken since—”

“Since you decided to be a dumbass and not go after what you really want?” Shelby interrupted.

“Hey, I have my reasons,” Alyssa fired back. She took a deep breath, smoothing down the pale blue fabric of her dress. The hemline was artistically ripped to give her ease of movement, and the material was light and flowy, which made her feel even more free. Smoothing it gave her hands something to do while her brain tried to think of what to say next. “One of them being that I don’t want to make things with Emma weird.”

Shelby sighed, finally turning her head to look at Alyssa. “Why do you immediately assume things would be weird?”

“We have to trust each other completely,” Alyssa said. “If she knew where my mind was at half the time we’re dancing together, then I think she’d lose that trust in me. She’d be entitled to, anyway.”

“See, you say that you don’t want to be distracted from the competition,” Shelby said, “but one way or another, Emma’s still distracting you.”

“Yeah, but it’s not as bad this way,” Alyssa pointed out. “Listen, if by some miracle Emma felt the same way, and we acted upon it…”

Shelby looked at her expectantly. “I still don’t see what the problem is. And what are you talking about, ‘by some miracle’? She likes you, Alyssa.”

“She doesn’t,” Alyssa said immediately. “She would’ve said something.”

“Have you said something?” Shelby challenged her.

“Well, no.”

“Exactly,” Shelby said. “I would put money on her being just as scared of something happening as you are. Especially since you keep going on about not wanting to have distractions.”

“I can’t let myself get my hopes up, Shelbs,” Alyssa admitted, her voice almost a whisper.

Shelby just looked at her, pain flickering behind her eyes. “Yeah. Hope is a dangerous thing to have.”

She looked back at Kaylee and, suddenly, it clicked. Alyssa’s heart broke a little for her friend, but she didn’t know how to even begin expressing what she was feeling. She didn’t know whether Shelby would even want her to. ‘At least _you _have a chance’ – that was what Shelby had told her.

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” Shelby said. “Oh.”

Alyssa reached out and squeezed her hand, pushing aside all of her questions and all she thought she knew about Shelby’s preferences. “If you ever want to talk about it…”

“Not yet,” Shelby said firmly. “But… thank you.”

“Of course,” Alyssa said. “Are we… are we okay?”

“Yeah, we’re okay,” Shelby said, squeezing Alyssa’s hand back. “I still think you’re being kind of a dumbass about Emma, but we’re okay.”

Alyssa glanced over at the couple on the dance floor, wincing when Kaylee very deliberately pressed a wet kiss to Nick’s cheek as their routine finished. “I also don’t want people to think I’m aiming for _that _with her.”

“Now that I understand,” Shelby said tightly, looking away and dropping Alyssa’s hand. “Speaking of Emma…”

Alyssa followed the direction of her gaze, her breath catching in her throat when she saw Emma wandering towards her in costume. She was wearing flowy pants, paired with an open light blue button-up shirt over a—

“You’re wearing a—a crop top,” Alyssa said blankly, as Emma stopped beside her.

Emma gave her a shy smile. “Yeah, I… Darlene offered me a choice between this and a full tank top. I guess I was just feeling confident today.”

“You look amazing,” Alyssa said softly, her eyes dropping down to Emma’s midriff before quickly snapping back up. “Um, right, Shelby?”

Luckily, Shelby didn’t draw attention to it. “Yeah, you look smokin’, Nolan.”

“Thanks,” Emma said, ducking her head and grinning. “How long until our dress run, by the way?”

“I, uh,” Alyssa blinked, willing her mind to get back on track instead of wandering to the soft expanse of skin on display right next to her. “Two more couples, then us.”

“Cool,” Emma nodded. “I’m going to get some water. Do you guys want some?”

“Alyssa does,” Shelby said immediately. “She _just _mentioned how thirsty she is, as a matter of fact.”

So much for not drawing attention to it. Alyssa could have kicked her, but Emma appeared to remain oblivious. “Okay. Two waters.”

She ambled off, bare feet padding softly on the carpeted floor, and Alyssa turned to glare at Shelby.

“What? Tell me I’m wrong,” Shelby said smugly. Alyssa was still a little mad about it, but at least she could see a flicker of a smile on Shelby’s face again, so she decided to let it go.

“You’re a bitch,” she said weakly.

“You love me,” Shelby said. “And, hey, I don’t think you have to worry about Emma guessing how you feel. She’s even more obtuse than you.”

“She trusts me,” Alyssa shrugged, remembering what Emma had told her. “Completely.”

“Don’t beat yourself up for having feelings,” Shelby said firmly, somehow knowing where Alyssa’s train of thought was going. “It’s not good for you, believe me. You’re allowed to like her, Alyssa.”

Alyssa sighed heavily. She still felt guilty, but Shelby’s words took root in her head. “I just hope we get something a little less emotional next time, is all.”

* * *

“Are you nervous?”

Emma glanced to her side, where Alyssa was bouncing slightly as she watched the crew change sets in the ad break. Since it was Disney week, some of the set pieces were pretty damn elaborate. She didn’t know how the crew managed to get everything done so quickly. Emma arched an amused eyebrow at Alyssa’s question.

“Right, stupid question,” Alyssa grinned, rolling her eyes at herself. “Of course you’re nervous.”

“As are you,” Emma noted.

“I mean… this dance is so personal to you,” Alyssa explained, stilling herself and turning to look at Emma fully. “I just want it to go well.”

“Yeah, me too,” Emma said quietly. “I’m also hoping nobody got creative with the editing of my interview thing.”

She saw Alyssa grimace. “I would say not to worry, but they do have a habit of trying to twist things.”

Emma thought back to the way the show had dramatized Alyssa banishing the camera crew during that one rehearsal. “You could say that.”

Alyssa looked like she couldn’t decide whether or not to scoot closer to her, so Emma took a step closer to her and knocked their shoulders together gently. Alyssa smiled, her eyes soft. They hadn’t really done a lot of makeup for her today, Emma noticed – instead, they’d gone for a more natural look. The two of them stuck out like sore thumbs amongst the bright and Dinsey-fied costumes of their competitors, but Emma liked it better this way.

When it was time, Emma took a deep breath and walked down the stairs from the Sky Box to the dance floor. Alyssa followed her, briefly tangling their fingers together as reassurance before slipping away and offstage; she wouldn’t be in the dance right away. Instead, the two troupe dancers that had been rehearsing with them for an hour or so each day came to join her, nodding at her as they assumed their starting positions behind her.

Emma sat down on the floor and pulled her knees up to her chest, ready to begin, and watched the screens as they played her interview from two days ago. Soft piano music was audible in the background, underscoring her words.

“I didn’t exactly have a magical upbringing,” the Emma on the screen was saying. “My parents threw me out of the house when I was sixteen, just because I was a lesbian. For a while it… it killed my belief in all that was good about people. But I learned how to see the beauty in the world again. And now Alyssa’s helped me to take all of those feelings and put them into a dance as a way to tell my story, and so that’s what I’m going to do on Monday night. All this isn’t something I’ve been super public about so… it’s going to be a lot. I just hope people can connect to it in some way.”

Her words were combined with rehearsal footage from that day; her and Alyssa dancing, and laughing together, and Alyssa giving her a high-five and a hug after what Emma remembered as being a particularly good run-through. They both looked so happy, and it made Emma smile before she remembered that she needed to prepare herself mentally for the mood of the dance. She took a deep breath as the picture on the screen faded to black, and the lights came up on the stage. There were no huge set pieces for their dance – just blue lighting and a touch of fog. Nothing to hide behind.

The music started, and the moves came to Emma without her having to think about them. The first little bit was just her and some floor work, and then the troupe dancers representing her parents were there, too, pulling her back when she tried to move away. The male dancer caught her around the waist as she attempted to slip past him, turning her around so she was going in the opposite direction.

And then, Alyssa was there. Emma saw her across the floor, and her heart longed to be over there with her. Their eyes met, and Alyssa started in her direction before being swept away by Emma’s mother figure. With her parents surrounding her, Emma had nowhere left to go. And then, all of a sudden, they were gone and she was alone. The music carried on in the background, and Emma felt real tears springing to her eyes.

On the ground, she looked up to see Alyssa standing over her. Alyssa’s fingers curled under her chin and Emma stood, eyes locked onto hers as they began to dance. Emma lifted her, one arm securely around her waist and the other out to the side to balance herself as Alyssa’s feet left the floor and they spun together.

Emma put her back down, her hand grazing Alyssa’s cheek. She was so close. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Emma knew that they had to be that close, but right now all she could think about was how much she wanted to lean in and kiss her. Before she could make that mistake, though, she was saved by her parents pulling them apart from one another.

This time, the Emma in the story fought back. She’d known love, and she’d had a glimpse of what she wanted in life, and she wasn’t going to let it go. She escaped them, running back towards the short flight of steps as the music built to a crescendo. She skidded to a stop right as Alyssa began running towards her. This was the big moment, and Emma was ready for it.

Alyssa launched herself into the air, and Emma’s arms came up to catch her. Alyssa’s hands linked around Emma’s neck as the two of them twirled around, Emma supporting her weight with ease. The arm under Alyssa’s legs moved to join the other one around her back as Alyssa’s legs wrapped themselves around Emma’s waist. Emma’s heart pounded in her chest as she spun her way across the dance floor, trying not to get dizzy with Alyssa’s forehead pressed against her own. She swallowed a lump in her throat as she lowered Alyssa to the floor, feeling Alyssa’s hands raise goosebumps down her arms even through the silk of her shirt.

Knowing they were coming to the end of the routine, Emma kept dancing. The choreography felt like it was ingrained in her body, the moves flowing through her like water, and she could do this. She could dance, and she could _feel _what this dance was doing to her.

Emma sank into Alyssa’s arms as soon as it was over, tears finally spilling down her cheeks as she took a shuddering breath. The repressed emotions of the past eight years washed over her, but it almost felt cleansing. She held onto Alyssa tightly, barely feeling the hands rubbing up and down her back and hardly registering the words of comfort Alyssa was murmuring to her. They stayed there, rooted to the spot as the audience cheered around them, for what felt like a lifetime. Eventually, though, Emma knew she had to let go.

She was stunned into silence all the way through the judges’ feedback, although she thought that they all said good things. She caught words like ‘emotional’ and ‘captivating’, and she even thought she saw a stray tear roll down Angie’s cheek. But all she could feel was Alyssa’s hand in her own, tethering her to the ground.

Almost before she knew it, she was standing beside Trent in the Sky Box, looking around her and seeing more than a few of the other dancers crying with her. Kevin wiped his eyes discreetly, and Kaylee wasn’t even trying to hide her emotions. Alyssa, to her credit, was holding it together pretty well, although Emma knew her well enough by now to know that she was doing it for her benefit, because one of them needed to be the strong one.

Emma looked at the camera, wondering how many kids just like her were watching, and suddenly she couldn’t stay silent anymore.

“Sorry, Trent, can I say a few words?” she asked, out of nowhere.

Trent looked surprised but, to his credit, he pointed the mic in her direction. “Of course.”

“I just want to tell all the people out there – young, old, gay, straight, whatever – that it’s okay to be different,” Emma said. She didn’t know where she was going with it, but maybe she could help just one kid, and so the words kept on coming. “It’s _great_ to be different, and if the people in your life can’t see that, then they don’t deserve to be in your life. It might take a while, but you’ll find your people, and things will get better. And if you’re – if you’re a parent who refuses to love their child because of something like sexuality… then you need to take a long look at yourself and ask yourself why it is that you’ve failed as a parent. Don’t put your kids through that. Just don’t, because it will affect them for a very, very long time.”

Alyssa squeezed her hand tightly, and Emma’s throat closed up. She looked down, and Trent took the mic away, delivering a bit to camera that Emma didn’t pay attention to. All she paid attention to was Alyssa, leaning her cheek against Emma’s shoulder as she gripped Emma’s hand with both of hers. Emma drew strength from her as she waited for the judges’ scores.

Angie was first, still looking a little misty-eyed. “Nine.”

Emma bit her lip as fresh tears gathered in her eyes. It seemed as if she really hadn’t been the only one to connect with the dance.

“Nine,” Barry said, holding up his scoring paddle in front of his face. Emma wondered if he was crying, too.

“There were moment where your performance was a _little_ too internal. Eight,” Dee Dee said, but Emma didn’t mind that she’d scored them a point lower. It just meant that she had something to build on if they came back next week.

“That’s a score of twenty-six; your highest to date,” Trent told them, and Emma smiled despite the emotional release still being extremely fresh. “I can tell that this dance meant a lot to you.”

Emma just nodded, silently begging Trent not to make her start crying on national television again. Luckily, for once he seemed to know what she was thinking and made the right decision, reading out their voting information and letting her be. She clung onto Alyssa’s hand still, never wanting to let her go. Perhaps it would be her downfall, but right now Emma didn’t care.

She needed Alyssa, and Alyssa had been there for her. Emma hoped that, if she ever needed it, she could be there for Alyssa too.

* * *

**kara {stream sword} **@emmasnolans: okay im gathering a team to square up to emmas parents whos in

**Betsy Nolan **@pwrtothegran: @emmasnolans Me.

**ocean **@zazzhands @pwrtothegran QUEEN

**hoe **@timewives: bro im crying deadass

**alice | 4 **@wooloowoo: wow i had no idea that her parents kicked her out. that dance was so fucking brave im so glad these two have had my votes from the start now everyone else vote for them pls and ty

* * *

Even after they’d changed back into their street clothes, Alyssa didn’t want to leave Emma’s side.

It wasn’t that Emma had been distant since their performance, but there was definitely something behind her eyes that meant she was lost in her thoughts. Alyssa had kept close for the rest of the show, and Emma had seemed to be okay with that. More than okay; she’d seemed to want Alyssa that close. It wasn’t easy, but Alyssa tried to put aside her personal feelings, because Emma was in a pretty emotional state after their dance and needed her there as a friend. Nothing more.

Now, Alyssa stood by Emma’s truck. She looked at Emma, who was looking softer than usual in a warm sweater and her glasses, still wearing that same expression on her face, and she found herself wanting to stay with her.

“Em?”

“Yeah?” Emma asked quietly, her focus shifting to Alyssa.

Alyssa fidgeted on the spot. “Would it be okay if I crashed at yours again? I just, um, think maybe it would be good for you to have someone there in case you want to talk about it. Or not talk about it. We could watch Netflix or just talk about dumb stuff or—”

“Yes, please,” Emma interrupted, her voice small. Her eyes, however, were warm and grateful. “I’d like that.”

“Cool,” Alyssa said, trying to pretend that her whole body didn’t sag with relief at the confirmation that Emma wasn’t closing herself off after the emotion she’d displayed tonight.

Emma opened the passenger door to her truck. “You can come with me, if you want, seeing as we’re both gonna be back here tomorrow. I’ll even let you borrow some pyjamas this time.”

Her old smirk was back on her face, which Alyssa counted as a victory. “Hey, I was barely half-awake last time,” she protested. “I would’ve gotten halfway out of my shirt and passed out on the floor.”

They drove back to Emma’s place in comfortable silence, which turned into gentle laughter as they watched TV together for a few hours. Alyssa could sense Emma relaxing back into her usual self, at any rate, but there was still a melancholic air around her. It was understandable, of course, but Alyssa didn’t know what to say. Maybe Emma needed to feel this way, just for a little while.

When they eventually retired to Emma’s room, and had both changed into pyjamas, Alyssa lifted the covers and got into bed beside Emma. She hadn’t really remembered getting into Emma’s bed the first time, she’d been so tired, and so this felt odd. And sure, she’d shared beds with a few women over the years – some in a platonic way, some in a… less platonic way – but she didn’t think she’d ever felt quite like this simply from slipping under the covers and feeling someone’s body heat next to her.

Emma was silent for a moment, fidgeting with her glasses before taking them off and placing them on the nightstand. “Can you… no, it’s dumb.”

“What is it?” Alyssa asked immediately, noticing the color in Emma’s cheeks.

“I was going to ask if you could just… hold me, for a little bit,” Emma said, not meeting her eyes. “I know it’s a weird request but I’m just feeling a lot of conflicting emotions right now and I think I just need to be…”

Alyssa swallowed, finishing her sentence quietly. “Cuddled?”

Emma’s eyes met hers for a moment, glancing away less than a second later. “Like I said, it’s dumb and you definitely don’t have to. It’s more than enough that you care enough to be here and make sure I’m okay and—”

“Come here,” Alyssa murmured, cutting off Emma’s rambling. She steeled herself as she wrapped an arm around Emma’s shoulders and let her curl into her body. Friends cuddled all the time. Hell, she’d cuddled with Shelby and Kaylee before now and it hadn’t been weird. “I’ve got you.”

Alyssa’s traitorous heart was thumping wildly in her chest. She only hoped Emma couldn’t hear it, because to her it was as if it was the loudest sound in the universe. Her heart, calling out to Emma’s in the vain hope that she would answer. But an answer, whatever it may be, would make things complicated. Here, she could live in ignorance. And yes, it was hard keeping her growing feelings to herself. It was hard not knowing how Emma felt about her. It was hard pretending like she wasn’t starting to want her way more than some trophy.

But as Alyssa heard Emma’s breathing even out against her neck as she fell asleep, she thought that maybe this was the only way she’d be able to get through the competition emotionally unscathed.

* * *

It would’ve been too easy for them to be announced safe first two weeks in a row.

Instead, Emma found herself in her usual position with Alyssa come the elimination shows as the first half of the couples found out their fates. She spent the time that this week’s musical guest was performing trying not to bite her nails in worry, and trying not to blush every time she caught Alyssa’s eye.

Waking up in her arms had been a lot of things. Scary, mostly, because of how natural it had felt. Because it was so easy for Emma to picture a life in which they woke up together every morning, and that thought terrified her. So, she tried to push it to the back of her mind. She could surely still be close to Alyssa without making things weird.

It was such a strange situation for Emma to be in, because she’d never been this physically affectionate with anyone before. Not even the women she’d dated. She supposed that, being a dancer, it was only natural that Alyssa communicated through touch, but the feeling of fingertips on the back of her neck always left Emma feeling dizzy in both the best and worst way imaginable.

And yet, Emma couldn’t stop being close to her even if she wanted to. She couldn’t help the way she buried her face in Alyssa’s hair during eliminations, or reached for her hand whenever she needed a little comfort. She couldn’t help the way she’d clung onto Alyssa last night, letting the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest help lull her to sleep. She was addicted to Alyssa’s touch.

That much was obvious as the remaining couples resumed their positions under the spotlights, and Emma’s arms wound themselves around Alyssa’s waist without a second thought. Heart beating wildly – and not just because of the stress of the elimination – Emma tried to force herself to keep her breathing even.

She didn’t want to be the next to leave. Not yet.

Finally, Tom Hawkins said, “Returning next week are… Emma and Alyssa!” and they were safe.

“Thank you,” Emma whispered, once the spotlight had gone out and she knew their mics were off. “Thank you for this week.”

“Did it help?” Alyssa asked.

Emma considered it for a brief moment. “Yeah,” she said. “I think it really did.”

“Good,” Alyssa whispered. “And your speech was beautiful, by the way.”

Emma said nothing, hoping that Alyssa couldn’t tell how hot her face had gotten. Luckily, they weren’t lit up, so she was pretty sure that her blush had gone unnoticed by everyone in the audience as well as Alyssa.

By the end of the show, only eight couples remained. Emma watched Tom and Trent deliver the outro with interest, because word was that was when next week’s theme would be revealed. The pro dancers already knew, of course, but Emma hadn’t asked Alyssa what it was yet, or what dance they’d had. She’d been so caught up in last night’s dance and her nerves over the results that it had pretty much slipped her mind.

“Be sure to tune in next week, as _Dancing with the Stars _goes to the movies!” Trent said gleefully.

“All your favorite genres, all in one show,” Tom said. “Until then, America.”

And the next moment, they were off-air. Emma turned to Alyssa, eyebrows raised. Movie night. Genres. It definitely sounded as if the show her grandma happened to be flying out for would be an interesting one.

“So,” Emma started, once everyone began clearing the dance floor. “Do you know what we’ve got?”

“I do,” Alyssa nodded. Her face was unreadable as she looked up to meet Emma’s gaze.

“Ooh, do we have a superhero genre?” Emma asked. “Is superhero considered a genre nowadays?”

“I have no idea,” Alyssa admitted. She took a deep breath, which worried Emma slightly. “Well, our dance style is a Rumba.”

“Oh,” Emma said dumbly. If the Rumba was what she thought it was, then they definitely wouldn’t be able to make the superhero genre work. “That’s the… that’s the slow and sexy one, right?”

Alyssa nodded again, biting her lip and looking into her eyes searchingly. “I don’t know why we were the ones chosen for this; whether it’s executive meddling or whether it’s just chance but… our genre this week is romance.”

And right then, in that moment, Emma knew that there was no way she was going to survive this.

* * *

**leigh **@moveimgay: quick question is p*rn a movie genre because i swear if i have to see nick and kaylee do gross het stuff i will never watch this show again

**not kara **@emmagreene: @moveimgay jesus fucking christ why would you put that in my head youre lucky youre cute

**leigh **@moveimgay: @emmagreene i refuse to suffer alone

**alice | 3 **@wooloowoo: another elimination, another near heart attack

**freddie **@sapphicsamba: @wooloowoo hey alice what’s the countdown for btw?

**alice | 3 **@wooloowoo: @sapphicsamba serious answer? its when i meet my long distance gf for the first time

**freddie **@sapphicsamba: @wooloowoo what the shit that’s so cute??? are you gonna make her watch the show next week dsjdsjk

**alice | 3 **@wooloowoo: @sapphicsamba yes and if she doesnt support the lesbians im breaking up with her on the spot

**jojo is tired **@dwtstans: alyssa is, and i cannot stress this enough, a str8

**vote emlyssa **@letsgolesbians: this just in twitter user @dwtstans is fresh out of brain cells can anyone spare one #braincellforjojo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! i'm hoping to have chapter six up in the next week before i move however it is A Doozy so please forgive me if it takes a little longer... i promise i will try and make it worth the wait


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW i'm sorry that took a while! i promise i have an excuse, and also this chapter is the longest one yet so HOPEFULLY it makes up for it...
> 
> emma and alyssa's rumba is 95% based off of this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O21dGiEdE4c
> 
> (yes there is a rating change but please just read it before jumping to conclusions. if you don't want to know, then skip the section after emma and carrie's conversation near the end of the chapter.)
> 
> that being said i welcome any and all yelling. enjoy!

Chapter Six: Movie Week

* * *

**falling slowly / eyes that know me / and i can’t go back**

* * *

“What about this one?” Kaylee suggested, hitting a button on her phone screen. Seconds later, the opening notes of Whitney Houston’s _I Will Always Love You _filled Alyssa’s apartment. “It definitely fits the genre.”

“Kaylee, I don’t think either of us would be able to keep a straight face,” Alyssa said. “I think I want something a little less overplayed, too.”

“Suit yourself,” Kaylee said. “But, for the record, this is definitely the song I would pick if it were my dance. I can’t believe you lucked out with a romance-themed rumba on movie week!”

“Luck’s one way to describe it,” Alyssa said, scrolling through the songs on her own phone in an attempt to find one for her first rehearsal with Emma the next day. “Seems a little bit coincidental that they’re using Emma for controversy and she and I just so happen to get this combination of things that will definitely get people talking.”

“Well, I’m super jealous,” Kaylee declared. “Nick and I have a Sci-Fi themed Paso Doble and I have no idea what I’m going to do.”

Alyssa knocked their shoulders together. “Then why are you sitting here helping me?”

“Because I’m amazing,” Kaylee said, fluttering her eyelashes and making Alyssa laugh. “Besides, maybe you and Emma getting a little publicity isn’t a bad thing. It might help keep your votes up.”

“I don’t want it to look like we’re doing anything just for votes, or for ratings,” Alyssa said. “I don’t want to be complicit in what the network’s original plan was.”

“And I understand that,” Kaylee said gently. “All I’m saying is that we’re telling stories with our dances here, Alyssa, so why can’t you really lean into the romance aspect of it with Emma? You did for the Waltz.”

“That’s different,” Alyssa said. “We were making a statement against the network.”

Kaylee shrugged. “Then make another statement. Just don’t waste the dance and genre I know a lot of the pros would kill to have gotten.”

“Including you?” Alyssa asked. “It’s okay, I’m sure you can still find a way to make your routine with Nick super sexual.”

“Ouch.”

“I’m just saying,” Alyssa said, thinking back to Shelby’s reactions to the two of them and their dances. “What’s actually going on with you two, anyway?”

“We’re a thing,” Kaylee said immediately. “Not, like, officially or anything. But there’s, um… he’s a really great guy.”

“Uh-huh,” Alyssa said. She wanted to question it more, but Kaylee veered off-topic.

“I could ask you the same thing about Emma. What’s actually going on with you and her?”

“Nothing’s going on,” Alyssa said, keeping her eyes on her phone as she scrolled mindlessly. “We’re friends.”

She could tell Kaylee didn’t believe her, but Shelby already knew how she felt about Emma and Alyssa really didn’t feel like spilling her secrets to everybody. She didn’t need more than one of her friends calling her a dumbass for not telling Emma how she felt.

“Hey,” Kaylee said quietly. Alyssa looked over to see her fiddling with the ends of her hair. “Has Shelby seemed… off, to you?”

Alyssa considered her answer carefully, not wanting to give Shelby’s own secret away. “She was a bit distant at the end of last week, if that’s what you mean.”

“No, it’s been going on for longer than that,” Kaylee mused. “I just wish I knew what was wrong, or how to help her.”

Biting her tongue, Alyssa simply shrugged. “Maybe you should start a conversation about it with her, not me.”

“Maybe,” Kaylee said absently. “Oh, how about this song?”

She played it, and Alyssa just looked at her. “_My Heart Will Go On_. Really?”

“What?” Kaylee looked offended. “_Titanic _is one of the most romantic movies ever!”

“I’m not arguing with you on that,” Alyssa defended herself. “And I know that Emma would… actually make an incredible Jack, but I said I didn’t want overplayed. And that song is the definition of overplayed.”

“Fine,” Kaylee grumbled. “All I’m saying is that the drawing scene is iconic.”

“Kaylee, I am not getting naked on national television,” Alyssa said plainly. “And how exactly would a scene where I’d be lying down for the majority of it translate into a good dance?”

“God, I wasn’t suggesting any of that and you know it,” Kaylee said, starting to laugh uncontrollably. “I was simply making a statement.”

Alyssa barely heard her, though, because she was staring at her phone. A smile spread over her face as she read the song title that she’d scrolled to in the suggested playlist. It was a little different than what she’d been expecting to find, but it might just work. “What do you think of this song, Kayls?”

Kaylee craned her head over Alyssa’s shoulder as she tapped play. “It’s pretty unconventional. But I’m all for it.”

“Sweet,” Alyssa said, letting the music wash over her. “Then it’s decided. _Falling Slowly_, from _Once_.”

“Now, do you think I’ll be able to find my Paso song before midnight?” Kaylee asked with a grin.

“You will if I help you,” Alyssa said. “Come on, let’s get to work.”

* * *

Emma had been right. There was no way she was going to survive the Rumba.

The routine Alyssa had pitched to her seemed a little different to the Rumbas she’d seen other couples do on the show – less overtly sexual – but the intimacy and the eye contact was still a lot for Emma to handle. Alyssa’s slow hip movement was completely mesmerizing, and her hand kept brushing over Emma’s cheek at various points throughout the routine, and it left Emma breathless.

“Okay, um,” Alyssa said, her hands going to Emma’s waist. “If you put your hands on my face for this next bit and keep stepping like you are now… yeah.”

Emma gulped, keeping her eyes locked on Alyssa’s instead of glancing down to watch the way her body moved. Alyssa’s cheeks were soft beneath her hands.

There were a few moves in the routine that Emma was nervous about in a dancing capacity, and there were others that she was nervous about in an emotional capacity. It was risky, dancing like this with Alyssa when she had genuinely started to consider kissing her in the middle of their Contemporary performance, but she couldn’t exactly bring up her concerns during rehearsal.

“This dip is slow,” Alyssa explained, still in the embrace they were in from a previous move that she’d taught Emma. Her left leg around Emma’s hip. Her arms around Emma’s neck. Emma’s hands on her back; one low and one high. “You’ll have to lean forwards a little during this so just keep your weight spread. Move your right foot forward a bit.”

Emma did as she was told, her breath hitching when her thigh pressed against the apex of Alyssa’s legs. She saw the movement of Alyssa’s throat as she swallowed, and for a moment, neither of them said anything. Emma’s body was flushed with heat. Alyssa’s face was too close.

Alyssa cleared her throat. “Now slowly tip me back and I’ll let go with my hands.”

Lowering Alyssa backwards with her hands there to support her weight, Emma watched in a trance as Alyssa’s arms arced past her head and her hands almost brushed the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, Emma saw Alyssa’s leg come up to her head level. When Emma brought her back upright, Alyssa’s hand cupped the back of her head briefly before she spun away, and Emma felt like she could draw breath once more.

This dance, and this woman, would be the absolute death of her.

* * *

Their video package filming was happening on Thursday this week, which Alyssa wasn’t too happy about. She’d only had a session and a half of teaching Emma their Rumba routine and there was still a lot of improvements to be made. Alyssa didn’t exactly want a camera crew in while she was still trying to teach Emma the choreo itself.

God, the choreo.

Alyssa had once thought that she would die if she ever had to teach Emma how to Rumba, and she was coming to discover that she’d been correct in her original assessment. She could deal with the faster, sexy dances (Samba Rolls aside). She could even deal with the slow, romantic dances. What she couldn’t deal with was a dance that was both slow and sexy, with a romance genre thrown in on top of that.

She’d tried her best to choreograph a good routine, but she couldn’t help but feel as if there was something missing from the dance. She liked how understated the music was, but they needed something to counter that. Something to make it a romance movie put onto the dance floor. Alyssa just didn’t know what.

“This week, Emma and I have a Rumba,” Alyssa said, facing the camera and purposefully not looking at Emma, who was standing by one of the crew. “The Rumba is all about being sensual, but since our genre is romance, I wanted to blend the soft and the sexy into one dance, and use a song from a movie to bring it all together. It was… a challenge.”

“How’s rehearsal going?” the crew member next to Emma asked.

“Really well so far,” Alyssa said. “Emma’s best dances are the slower ones where the music leads the story, so I think that element of the dance will play to her strengths.”

“How do you feel about the genre you’ve been given?”

Alyssa paused. “I, um, I think it opens up a variety of storytelling options,” she said carefully. “And since there’s only a couple of genres that would work with a Rumba, I’m actually really glad we’ve got it.”

“Yes, but how do you _feel _about it?”

“I feel…” Alyssa trailed off, meeting Emma’s eyes for a split-second before looking away. “Nervous, I guess. I want people to like the routine, and I just hope my choreo measures up to what people have in their heads.”

They interviewed Emma, after that, and Alyssa ducked out of the room for some air. Why had that guy been pushing her about her feelings like that? Did he somehow know? Did the producers know? Or was this just simply a dramatic device to try and get her to admit she was uncomfortable dancing this particular style with a woman?

Alyssa’s blood boiled in her veins. Was this the reason they’d been given the genre and style they had? Were they hoping she would be uncomfortable with Emma, and it would lead to drama that they could exploit? And, sure, Alyssa had been a little uncomfortable the past two days, but that was only because of how much she wanted Emma.

Every time Emma’s hands were on her, she wanted more. And when Emma’s hands _weren’t _on her, she wanted them to be. It was maddening.

But if the network really thought that, as a supposed straight woman, dancing this intimately with a lesbian would be a good controversy, then they were even more callous then Alyssa had previously given them credit for. She definitely needed to find a way to show that wasn’t the case, because she was getting pretty sick of all the assumptions and the manipulation.

There was something; an idea that she knew would be a good one if she could keep herself far enough removed from it. But she had no idea what Emma would make of it.

* * *

Once the camera crew were gone, Emma breathed a sigh of relief.

Rehearsing this dance in its early stages in front of people was _beyond _nerve-wracking, especially seeing as her blush throughout the whole thing was probably extremely easy to spot. And Emma knew rationally that her and Alyssa’s routine wasn’t as sex-driven as some of the other Rumbas she’d seen so far in the competition, but it was still overwhelming to be dancing like that with Alyssa. The closest they’d come to this before now was their Waltz, but that had been pure romance. This was… honestly, Alyssa describing the style as ‘sensual’ in her interview earlier was the best way Emma could think of it in her own head.

Emma had never felt like much of a _sensual _person. But with Alyssa looking at her like that, and with the choreography she’d created for them, Emma started to feel it a little. She felt kind of desirable under Alyssa’s gaze, and she didn’t know what to do about that. Because Alyssa was just acting.

Ever since she’d come back into the studio after her interview, Alyssa had seemed a little distracted. Emma hadn’t pushed it, because she knew Alyssa well enough to know that she didn’t like being pushed. If it was something Emma needed to know, then Alyssa would tell her eventually. She just hoped it wasn’t anything serious.

About ten minutes before the end of the session, Alyssa stayed where she was at the end of the routine. The last few seconds involved her walking away from Emma and leaving them both alone at the end of the dance. Emma supposed it was because the couple in the movie didn’t end up together, but she was secretly a bit sad that the ending to their dance wasn’t happier.

“This isn’t working,” Alyssa said, furrowing her brow as she looked at Emma across the distance between them. “The ending, I mean.”

Emma nodded, relieved that this was apparently what had gotten Alyssa so distracted and not something more serious. “Yeah, it’s kind of a downer.”

“The thing is, a normal Rumba is about the woman alternating between teasing and leaving the man,” Alyssa sighed. “So walking away at the end is kind of common, even if it’s in a different context.”

“I’m sensing a ‘but’ on the horizon.”

Alyssa smiled wryly. “But… this isn’t exactly a normal Rumba. For a start, we’re two women, and the whole ‘woman teasing man’ thing is kinda bullshit anyway if you ask me.”

“What are you saying, exactly?” Emma asked. “Do you want to change the ending?”

“Yeah, I think we should change it,” Alyssa said, running a hand through her loose hair and distracting Emma for a moment. “Maybe as I go to walk away, you grab hold of my hand and I stop and turn back.”

Emma considered it. “I like that.”

“Okay, um,” Alyssa said, shifting on the spot almost like she was nervous. She looked up at Emma for a long moment before she spoke again, looking as if she was trying to psych herself up to saying something. “The way I see it, there are two options for this new ending. When we come back together, either I hug you…”

“Or?” Emma frowned in confusion when Alyssa trailed off. She wasn’t quite sure where this was going.

Alyssa’s eyes flickered carefully between Emma’s own. “Or I kiss you.”

Emma’s heart skipped several beats as Alyssa’s words registered in her brain. Maybe her heart just stopped altogether; it was kind of hard to tell. Because all Emma could focus on was the word ‘kiss’. Alyssa was proposing the idea of kissing her on national television, just like that, and Emma didn’t know what to do. She wanted to do it. _God_, did she want to do it. But she was having enough trouble surviving this routine anyway; if she and Alyssa kissed during it then Emma truly didn’t know if she would come out the other side alive.

On the other hand, there was no doubt in Emma’s mind that it would be kind of the perfect way to end the routine. Plus, when again in her lifetime would she be allowed to kiss Alyssa? Maybe it was selfish of her, but it was Alyssa who had suggested it, so clearly she was fine with it being a part of the choreography. Emma suddenly realized she had been silent for a long time, because Alyssa’s eyebrows were now drawn together in worry.

“We can just hug,” she said hurriedly. “The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable—”

“No, it’s okay,” Emma interrupted her. “Maybe, um, we try both and see what works best?”

“Yeah,” Alyssa breathed. “Good idea. And we can always get another opinion when your gran sits in on rehearsal tomorrow. You know, as far as what’s best for the dance goes.”

Emma tried not to wince, because she knew exactly what her gran would say if asked for her opinion. “Yeah.”

“Okay,” Alyssa said with a nod. “Let’s run the routine through twice more and try the different, uh, options.”

Emma wiped her hands on her leggings, worried that her palms had started to sweat. Holy shit. “Hug option first?” she asked. Her voice was small.

“Yes,” Alyssa said, moving to where her phone was plugged in and pressing play on the track. “Hug option first.”

She sounded surer of herself than Emma felt, but Emma could still see the apprehension in her eyes. She looked as if she’d been nervous about pitching this idea, which brought Emma a little bit of comfort. Maybe she wasn’t the only one feeling kind of scared about this.

There was no denying that the change to the ending made it work a lot better, given the framing of their assigned genre, and Emma knew that her instincts about the conclusion of their dance had actually been right. Alyssa, too, looked a lot happier with the routine overall as she drew back from their finishing embrace.

Alyssa chewed on her bottom lip, Emma’s eyes being dragged to the movement. “Are you ready to try option two?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Emma breathed. Truthfully, she didn’t know if she’d ever be ready, but she didn’t want to tell Alyssa that.

Alyssa nodded. “Cool.”

The song started again, and then Emma was doing her best to put the upcoming kiss out of her head, because there was a whole dance to get through first. Still, her mind kept wandering to Alyssa’s lips, especially since there were points in the routine where they were very close to her own. She wondered if they would feel as soft as they looked. A thrill went through her at the realization that she would actually have the privilege of finding out.

Towards the end of the routine, Emma felt Alyssa’s nose brush her cheek from where she was stood in front of her. Alyssa’s back was to her front, and her right arm was curled around the back of her neck, almost like she’d had taken to doing during eliminations, only this time her face was turned to Emma. Her arm lowered and she went to walk away.

Heartbeat thumping obnoxiously in her chest, Emma reached out to grab her hand. Alyssa turned around, looking into Emma’s eyes for a moment. In reality, that moment lasted only a second, but to Emma, it felt as if aeons passed with Alyssa staring right at her. Her expression was impossible to read. Emma hoped to God that her own feelings weren’t written all over her face.

Taking two steps towards her, Alyssa cupped Emma’s cheek with her free hand and kissed her.

Emma’s eyes slipped closed, the hand not holding Alyssa’s automatically going to rest on the curve of her waist. Alyssa’s lips were even softer than they looked, and Emma was already getting light-headed. The kiss was gentle, and sweet, and perfect.

All awareness of her own body faded from Emma’s mind, because all that mattered right now was that she was kissing Alyssa Greene, and it was better than she could have ever imagined. A single, simple kiss had never affected her like this. She was addicted.

Alyssa pulled away, and Emma’s heart protested the action. She opened her eyes to see Alyssa’s still closed, although they opened a second after. Alyssa lingered in her personal space, the two of them silent for several moments. Although it had seemed like somehow both the longest and shortest thing in the world, the kiss had only lasted a few seconds. And yet Emma knew that she would never be the same; not now that she knew what kissing Alyssa was like. What it did to her.

“That’s, um, I think we—we can call it for today,” Alyssa said, stumbling over both her words and her feet as she dropped her hand from Emma’s cheek, backing away and leaving Emma feeling cold.

Emma could only nod wordlessly, trying to school her features into a relatively normal expression even as she ached to pull Alyssa back in again. But she couldn’t, because this kiss was just another step in their choreographed routine, and she couldn’t let herself think of it as anything more.

Inside, though, it was everything.

* * *

As soon as Alyssa was in the safety of her car, she closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the headrest. She touched her lips with trembling fingers, still able to feel Emma’s kiss, and let out a shaking breath. She thought she would’ve been able to handle it, but she was wrong. She couldn’t keep Alyssa ‘the human who had feelings’ far enough removed from Alyssa ‘the professional dancer’.

Alyssa knew that her reasoning for suggesting the kiss was motivated by what she thought was best for the dance – she didn’t want to take advantage of Emma at all – but she couldn’t deny that she’d wanted it. She’d wanted to kiss Emma so badly, and now she had, and all it had done was confirm that she wouldn’t be getting over her feelings for her anytime soon.

Emma was far from her first kiss, but with the way Alyssa’s lips were still tingling and her heart was still racing several minutes later, she might as well have been.

Alyssa hoped she hadn’t made Emma uncomfortable. She’d been quiet for so long after Alyssa had first suggested the idea of ending their routine with a kiss; so long that Alyssa had been about to take it back. But then Emma had answered, and had said it was okay, and that was how Alyssa had found herself kissing Emma Nolan for the first time. She hoped that it wouldn’t be the last time, too, but maybe Emma would decide that the hug option was for the best. Maybe they could get Betsy’s opinion on it all tomorrow.

Part of Alyssa wanted to talk to Shelby about the kiss, but she really wasn’t in the mood to get punched in the face or yelled at. Or both at the same time. No, everything would be a lot easier if as few people knew about the kiss as possible, at least until the live show. Because if they kissed on the show, then _everyone _would see it.

But that was part of the idea, right? For everyone across the country to see two women kiss during a romance-themed Rumba. If there was going to be any performance that a kiss would make sense in, it would be this one. And if the producers of the show wanted to push the potential controversy surrounding her and Emma’s partnership, then Alyssa was determined that it would happen on her and Emma’s terms.

All she had to do was survive kissing her again.

* * *

Emma felt no shame about the speed with which she ran across the airport towards her gran to give her a hug.

She clung on tightly, letting her grandmother’s familiar perfume surround her and smiling into her shoulder. Betsy hugged her back, her surprisingly sturdy arms wrapped around Emma’s waist as she chuckled into her ear.

“Calm down, sweetheart,” she said. “You’ve gotten so strong that you’re going to knock me over.”

“Never,” Emma said. “You were always the strongest.”

Betsy laughed louder. “And don’t you forget it.”

Pulling back from their embrace, Emma smiled brightly at her and held out a hand, offering to take her suitcase. Betsy just snorted and tightened her grip on the handle. Emma took the hint, falling into step beside her as they headed in the direction of Emma’s truck.

“Was the traffic bad?” Betsy asked. “Only I couldn’t help but notice you were a little late.”

“Sorry,” Emma said quickly. “I was playing guitar at home and lost track of time.”

Betsy just hummed. “New song?”

“No, actually,” Emma said. “I can’t get this week’s song out of my head, so I started learning it.”

“I wonder why,” Betsy sing-songed, and Emma blushed.

“It’s not like that,” she protested weakly, unlocking her truck and letting her grandma put her suitcase in the back. “It’s just a nice song.”

Betsy arched an eyebrow at her. “Do you really believe that?”

“I have to,” Emma shrugged, starting the engine and mentally preparing herself to find her way out of LAX. “Especially with the new ending to our routine.”

“What new ending?”

Emma tapped her fingers on the steering wheel for a moment before speaking. “We’re thinking about ending it with a kiss.”

There was silence for a moment. Emma quickly glanced over to gauge her grandma’s reaction, only to see a smug smile spreading over her face.

“Don’t start,” Emma warned her. “Just… don’t. I already know how screwed I am.”

“Emma,” her gran started gently. “You’re not screwed. You just have feelings for her.”

“I’ll be screwed if she ever finds out,” Emma sighed heavily, “and she realizes that I was way more into the kiss than she was. I mean, she practically ran away afterwards, so maybe she’s changed her mind about it anyway.”

She saw Betsy fix her with a look out of the corner of her eye. “You’ve already kissed?”

“Just once.”

“And?”

“What exactly is it you want me to say here?” Emma asked, going on the defensive. “That it was the best kiss of my life even though it lasted two seconds and didn’t actually mean anything?” She glanced over at her gran again. “Sorry.”

Betsy reached over to pat her knee. “It’s okay, sweetheart. But have you ever considered the possibility of it meaning something to her, too?”

“No,” Emma said immediately. “That’s another thing I can’t let myself consider. She’s so focused, grandma, and even if she did like me back… I’ve seen how she looks at what Kaylee and Nick are doing. She’d never—”

“There’s always after the competition,” Betsy pointed out.

Emma laughed, trying to hide how scared this journey coming to an end made her. “What if I never see her again after the show is over? What if I never meant anything to her at all?”

“Now you’re just being ridiculous,” Betsy huffed, retracting her hand. “You’re friends, are you not?”

“Well, yeah—”

“Then you don’t have to worry,” she said firmly. “I believe that, even if she didn’t feel the same – and I’m pretty convinced that she does – that the end of the season won’t be goodbye.”

Emma didn’t respond, and Betsy didn’t press her further. Instead, they sat in comfortable silence as Emma drove her to her hotel – she hadn’t wanted to ‘put Emma out’ and nothing Emma had said could convince her to stay in her apartment – and they checked her in and dropped off the suitcase. She drove Betsy straight to her afternoon rehearsal with Alyssa, butterflies fluttering in her stomach at the prospect of seeing her again after yesterday.

Luckily, Alyssa seemed to have moved past her inability to look Emma in the eye. She still wasn’t acting completely like her usual self, but the improvement over yesterday helped Emma to relax a little bit. Immediately upon seeing Alyssa, Betsy marched over and pulled her into a firm hug. Alyssa’s eyebrows rose in surprise, but she hugged her back as a smile started to spread across her face. Emma bit back a grin as she watched the two of them, who had by all means never so much as spoken to each other before, hug in the middle of the studio like they’d been friends for years.

“So,” Betsy said, once she’d watched the two of them stretch and warm up. “Can I see this Rumba I’ve heard so much about?”

Emma’s cheeks flushed, hoping Alyssa wouldn’t question what exactly she’d told her grandma. She glanced at Alyssa. “Sure. Should we, uh, run option one?”

Alyssa’s brow furrowed for a moment, before she apparently remembered that option one was the hug and nodded. She walked over to plug her phone into the dock, Emma going with her.

“Does she know about both options?” Alyssa asked lowly.

Emma stammered for a moment before she managed to get the words out. “Well, I um, I told her that we were thinking about putting a kiss at the end of the routine. But I didn’t tell her about the two options, per se.”

“Okay,” Alyssa said simply. “Do you want me to give her the rundown of her options so she can help us make a decision on which one to go with?”

“Sure,” Emma said agreeably, although she knew which option her gran would pick. “Are you… okay with both options?” she asked, the memory of Alyssa’s face after their first kiss burned into her mind.

Alyssa nodded. “If you’re comfortable with… with both options, then so am I.”

“I’m comfortable,” Emma said quietly. “I just… you kind of ran out yesterday. I thought I’d done something to make you feel weird.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Alyssa said immediately. “I’ve never, uh, actually done a stage kiss before, and I guess I didn’t really think about it until, well…”

“Me neither,” Emma confessed.

“How long does plugging in one phone take?” Betsy yelled playfully from the other end of the room.

Emma jumped in surprise, having momentarily forgotten that they weren’t alone. “Sorry!”

“Here, you find the song,” Alyssa said, handing her phone over to Emma. “I’ll go fill her in on the two options.”

She walked over to Betsy, more business-like than Emma had seen her recently, and Emma didn’t quite know what to make of it. Alyssa was acting pretty unaffected by the kiss, but the way she’d been right after it yesterday was still playing on Emma’s mind. She just hoped Alyssa wasn’t lying for her benefit when she’d said that she was comfortable with kissing her.

Emma also hoped that she was appearing as unaffected as Alyssa.

Just like the previous day, they ran the routine through twice with a different ending each time. But unlike last time, Emma let herself enjoy the first run-through a lot more. The kiss was just a stage kiss, like Alyssa had said, and should be treated as such. They were playing characters in love, and so Emma tried to lose herself in that as she danced. She knew the steps, she knew the emotion behind it, and she knew how to finish the lines her arm made and all the other little technical things she’d learned.

Emma decided to let Alyssa dictate how the kiss was going to go. It was only fair, after all; Alyssa was the choreographer here, and Emma knew her own mind would be clouded by her personal feelings if it were her being the one to step closer to Alyssa and kiss her. Still, although she tried to keep herself removed from the character she was meant to be playing, Emma couldn’t help the way her insides quivered with anticipation as the second run-through came to its conclusion.

Alyssa’s hand found its place on her cheek once more, and then she was pressing her lips to Emma’s in an impossibly tender kiss.

_It’s just a stage kiss. Nothing more. Think about the impact this kiss would have on everyone._

All Emma could think about in that moment was the impact this kiss was having on _her_. She only allowed herself to linger in it for a moment before pulling back as the song’s final notes played out. Alyssa looked a lot more put-together this time, so Emma came to the conclusion that yesterday had just been the surprise of a kiss that – while it was theirs in a way – hadn’t wholly belonged to them. This kiss belonged to the dance.

Squeezing Alyssa’s hand once before she let go, Emma turned to face her grandmother, who was watching them both with a soft expression on her face. “So, um, which option do you—"

"Option two,” Betsy cut her off. “Definitely.”

And because Emma already knew she would say that, she looked over at Alyssa in order to ascertain what she thought of it all. Alyssa was smiling amusedly at Betsy’s quick answer, but she met Emma’s gaze a little shyly before nodding.

“Option two?” she said, almost like she was asking Emma’s permission.

Emma supposed that, in a way, she was. “Option two.”

“Wonderful,” Betsy grinned. “And now that we’ve gotten that tricky decision out of the way, let’s take a picture together. For the twitter.”

* * *

**Betsy Nolan **@pwrtothegran: Look who I found hard at work! @officialemmanolan and @AlyssaGreene have a really special routine for y’all on Monday night and you really don’t want to miss it. #readytoRUMBle

**alice | TODAY **@wooloowoo: SHE CAN’T JUST DROP THIS PIC WHEN I’M AT LAX ABOUT TO MEET MY GF IT’S NOT FAIR IM ALREADY LOSING IT

**freddie **@sapphicsamba: @wooloowoo not to alarm you but i think you probably just missed emma at the airport if she was picking up her grandma

**alice | TODAY **@wooloowoo: @sapphicsamba FUCK

**leigh **@moveimgay: i love how betsy put herself on the end so she didnt get between them ally of the year

**not kara **@emmagreene: @moveimgay whats the betting betsy knows something we dont

**leigh **@moveimgay: @emmagreene whats the betting alyssa is Officially Grandma Approved

**not kara **@emmagreene: @moveimgay only a dumbass whose name rhymes with bobo would bet against us

**jojo is tired **@dwtstans: i’m literally right here. and it’s just a selfie that they both happen to be in. what was betsy going to do, leave alyssa out?

**hoe **@timewives: @dwtstans we have no time for negativity in this house either jump on the bandwagon or begone

* * *

Alyssa knocked on the front door, shifting in the hallway and hoping that she wouldn’t be intruding. The rational part of her brain told her that everything would be fine, but there was still a voice in the back of her mind that told her she wasn’t welcome here. Before it could get too loud, however, Emma opened the door.

“Hi,” Alyssa said, a little awkwardly.

Emma just stared at her in surprise. “Hey. What, uh, what are you doing here? I thought we’d finished rehearsal for the day.”

“Shelby is stressing out but she’s not talking about it and I’m getting stressed out and I thought that if it wasn’t too much bother to you and your gran then I could just hang out here for a couple of hours?” Alyssa said, all in a rush. “I know it’s getting late but it’s just… I always feel calmer here for some reason, but feel free to tell me to fuck off, really, I don’t—”

“Alyssa, hey,” Emma interrupted gently, her forehead creasing in concern. “Come in.”

Letting out a slow breath, Alyssa tried her best not to melt under Emma’s gaze. “Thank you.”

Emma stood aside to let her in. Alyssa glanced around for Betsy, but she didn’t see her anywhere. “Where’s your gran?”

“At a hotel,” Emma said with a laugh. “She said she didn’t want to be a pain, but I think she just doesn’t like my cooking.”

“I’m sure your cooking is great,” Alyssa said immediately. She didn’t know quite how she felt about it just being the two of them. It was like she was nervous, but it didn’t feel like it was stressing her out any more than she already was.

“Well, the pasta’s almost ready and I made _way _too much again,” Emma said, shrugging her shoulders. “You’re welcome to be the judge of it yourself. Unless you already ate, or don’t want to, or something.”

Alyssa felt as if her heart was being squeezed, just enough to make it hard to breathe. “I haven’t eaten. Too busy trying and failing to get Shelby to talk. I’d love some pasta, if you’re sure?”

“Of course I’m sure,” Emma grinned, practically bounding into the kitchen. She yelped, and Alyssa rushed in after her, worried, only to see Emma quickly turning the heat down on the stove as the water boiled over the side of the pan. “Nothing to see here.”

“Really? Cause I’m starting my critique right now.”

Emma pouted at her. “That’s not fair. I was distracted.”

Alyssa glanced at the floor to hide a smile. She couldn’t help it if Emma was perhaps the cutest person in the world. And, sure, she’d tried to keep her composure around her and stay professional today, but her front was being worn down alarmingly quickly. And Emma didn’t even know she was doing it.

To her relief, it felt as though things between them were back to normal. Maybe it was because Alyssa wasn’t faced with the imminent prospect of having to kiss Emma again today and pretend like it didn’t mean anything to her. She’d gone and made their relationship on the dance floor so confusing, but at least here she knew where she stood. She and Emma were friends, and Alyssa had feelings for her. And she was okay with that now. It had taken her a little while, but then she’d come to the realization that it was fine if she had feelings for Emma, just as long as she didn’t act on them.

It was getting harder and harder not to act on them.

Like now. Sitting across from Emma at her table, watching her wolf down pasta at an alarming rate, Alyssa was having to force herself not to just cave and tell Emma that she liked her. Emma had a tiny bit of sauce on the corner of her mouth, and it kept drawing Alyssa’s eyes to her lips. All she could think about were the kisses they’d shared, short as they may have been, and when she would next be able to kiss her. They’d decided earlier that day that, in order to keep it as _authentic _as possible, they should only kiss a few times before the live show, and it was both a blessing and a curse.

On one hand, Alyssa wanted to kiss Emma every opportunity she got. On the other, each kiss sent her further and further into an emotional spiral, with Emma at the center.

“God, how did you somehow make enough pasta to feed four people, let alone two?” Alyssa asked, slumping back in her seat as she approached the kind of sleepy that only came from eating far too much good food.

Emma shrugged helplessly. “It just never looks like enough when I’m putting it in the pan. Besides, I’m starting to think of it as my special skill.”

“As opposed to the multiple skills you already have?”

“Out of control pasta portions is at the top of the list,” Emma said, a faux-serious expression on her face that lasted all of two seconds before she was smiling instead. “Thank you for stopping me from eating it all and going into a food coma. You would’ve had to roll me around the dance floor.”

Alyssa snorted. “Well, it was very good pasta.”

“Really?”

“Yes, Emma,” Alyssa said, her lips twitching at the surprised look on her face. “I hate to break this to you, but you’re going to have to add cooking to that list of special skills. Along with singing, playing guitar, and dancing.”

“Shut up,” Emma grinned. “Dancing, really?”

“What’s it gonna take?” Alyssa said, standing up and ruffling Emma’s hair on her way to the couch. She wasn’t sure why she did it, but the sight of Emma biting her lip as she smoothed down her messy curls as best as she could made her stomach flip.

Emma shrugged, flopping down onto the couch next to her. “Is it weird that I’m loving dancing way more than I thought I would?”

“It’s not weird at all,” Alyssa said quietly. “I’m really glad you’re enjoying it. Dancing is… a beautiful thing.”

“Yeah,” Emma breathed, looking as if her mind was far away. “Especially when it’s with you.”

Alyssa swallowed hard. Emma saying things like that really wasn’t helping with resisting the urge to kiss her at any given opportunity. At least the issue with Shelby was out of her mind for now – except that it had been replaced with the issue with Emma. Alyssa didn’t know which was worse.

“Oh, hey,” Emma said, eyes lighting up. “I’ve been working on something music-related. Do you want to hear it?”

This was definitely worse. “For sure.”

“Awesome, don’t move.”

Alyssa smiled lazily as she watched Emma stagger a little as she got up and headed in the direction of her bedroom. “Couldn’t if I wanted to. Got a food baby on the way.”

She heard Emma laugh. A moment later, she reappeared with her guitar in hand. “Congratulations?”

“Well, it’s your fault for knocking me up,” Alyssa said, too relaxed to really think about anything she was saying.

Emma dropped her guitar. Wincing, she picked it up again and sat down on the couch. She cleared her throat. “I, um…”

“Sorry,” Alyssa said, sitting up a little straighter and feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment. “That was a weird thing to say. Uh, what’s this thing you’ve been working on?”

Looking relieved at the change in topic, Emma settled her guitar on her lap and plucked a few strings. She adjusted a peg. “Well… I was bored and in the mood to play something new and I was just messing around until… I’ll just play it. Um.”

She took a deep breath, and started to play. Alyssa’s breath caught in her throat, because she recognized the song immediately. She let her head fall back against the couch cushions once more, watching as Emma lost herself in the music. When she started to sing, Alyssa sucked in a sharp breath, already knowing that this was going to be the death of her.

“_I don’t know you, but I want you all the more for that_.” Emma’s voice was just as sweet and clear as Alyssa remembered from the concert, and from her time stalking Emma’s insta looking for a Foxtrot song. “_Words fall through me, and always fool me, and I can’t react_.”

She carried on with the verse, her eyes fixed on her left hand as she changed chords. Starting to strum instead of pluck, her voice soared as she reached the next part of the song. Alyssa sat there, powerless to do almost anything but watch, enraptured, as Emma played the song that they’d been dancing to for the past three days. Her chest rose and fall in shallow movements as she saw how much Emma was losing herself in it.

Alyssa knew she wasn’t much of a singer, but she found herself joining in without a second thought when Emma went back to plucking the strings, and then it was her and Emma singing together in harmony.

“_Falling slowly, eyes that know me, and I can’t go back. And moods that take me, and erase me, and I’m painted black._”

Emma, who had glanced up in surprise as Alyssa had started singing, gave her a half-smile as she carried on solo. “_Well you have suffered enough, and warred with yourself. It’s time that you won._”

Alyssa stopped breathing altogether. She didn’t join in on the chorus, because she wasn’t even sure if she could speak – let alone sing. Her mind was racing, staring into Emma’s eyes as she sang to her. This was maybe the worst possible moment for this to happen, because she was already struggling enough with her feelings for Emma as it was.

It had been quite hard for Alyssa to accept that she was attracted to her. It had been even harder to accept that she had feelings for her. But both of those paled in comparison to the realization that she was falling in love with Emma.

* * *

Just when Emma thought things were back to normal, Alyssa started acting a little strange once more.

It was different than last time, though, because this time Alyssa was almost looking at her _more _than she usually did. Emma could see it out of the corner of her eye. But as soon as she turned to look at Alyssa, then Alyssa would glance away almost like she didn’t think she was allowed to look at her, even though they were currently in rehearsals for a very intimate dance.

Emma remembered the first few weeks, when she’d been terrified to watch Alyssa dance for fear of making her uncomfortable – and a little bit terrified of Alyssa watching _her _dance because she was so bad at it. Now though, she had realized that she liked it when Alyssa watched her. It still made her nervous, but it also made her feel so unbelievably warm inside, especially when it was coupled with that one particular smile Alyssa got sometimes.

During the dance itself, Alyssa was fine. It was when they took their breaks, or hung out before or after the day’s rehearsal that things weren’t quite normal, and Emma had no idea if it was something she’d done. Yesterday, Alyssa had assured her that she hadn’t done anything wrong, so maybe it was the same this time. Maybe Alyssa’s… whatever this was… was being caused by something else entirely. Maybe Shelby was still being confrontational for no discernible reason. She hadn’t pressed the issue with Alyssa, and she didn’t think Alyssa would’ve told her anyway. Emma liked Shelby, though. She hoped that whatever was going on wasn’t too serious.

It was probably for the best that they weren’t doing the kiss at the end of every run-through. Emma thought that might actually kill her.

That night, Emma found herself jerking to attention as she heard a knock at the door. Butterflies kicked off in her stomach, because what if it was Alyssa again? Tucking some hair back behind her ear and straightening her glasses, Emma walked quickly to the front door and opened it. She mentally scolded herself for being a little disappointed that it was her gran.

“The hotel not up to standard?” she asked, raising an eyebrow playfully and leaning against the doorframe. Betsy tutted at her and brushed past her into the apartment.

“And here I thought my only grandchild would be happy to see me. Especially because she lives on the other side of the country.”

Emma shut the door and drew her grandma into a hug. “I could’ve picked you up, or gone to visit you there. I just thought you’d be getting ready for bed.”

“I may be old, but I’m not that old,” Betsy scoffed. “I just wanted to talk to you about something, is all.”

“Uh oh.”

“Oh, be quiet, kid,” her grandma said, rolling her eyes and taking a seat on one end of the couch. “Sit down.”

Emma did as she was told, feeling as if she was about to get a telling-off. She just didn’t know for what. “Okay?”

“Why are you putting yourself through this?”

“Through what?” Emma furrowed her brow.

“This dance you’re doing with Alyssa,” Betsy explained. “Not the literal dance, I mean. The figurative one.”

Emma blinked a few times, trying to make sense of her grandma’s words. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about neither of you telling each other how you really feel.”

“How we… oh, no, Alyssa doesn’t feel—” Emma’s words died in her throat when she saw the sharp look in Betsy’s eyes.

“Honey, do you really believe that?”

Emma shrugged helplessly. “It’s… complicated.”

“The best things often are,” Betsy said. “But you must have noticed that she has feelings for you.”

“I don’t think she does, gran,” Emma said softly. “Or, if she does, she’s not planning to do anything about it. And, honestly, she has good reason not to.”

Betsy sighed heavily. “How many times are we going to have to have this conversation? And how much longer are you two going to play the professionalism card? You wouldn’t be the first dance partners to get together on this show.”

“What, like Nick and Kaylee?” Emma snorted. “They’re milking it for all it’s worth. I don’t want people to think I’m trying to date Alyssa for the votes.”

“A lot of people already think you _are _dating,” Betsy said. “And a lot more think that you’re going to.”

“It doesn’t matter what twitter thinks,” Emma said immediately. “They can say whatever they want. But I just don’t want the show itself to use us even more than they already are.”

“Emma, sweetheart… fuck the show,” Betsy said. “That’s why you’re putting the kiss in this week’s routine, right? To send a middle finger to the producers who tried to use you for a publicity stunt?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Emma muttered. “But there’s a big difference between a kiss in the routine and a real kiss. I just wish that I could make the distinction in my own head when we actually _do _kiss.” She looked at her grandma shrewdly. “Why are you so convinced Alyssa likes me back?”

Betsy laughed heartily. “Now I _know _you’re not that dumb. I have eyes, Emma, and as cliché as it sounds… I see the way she looks at you. On and off the dance floor.”

Emma’s mind flashed to the rehearsal earlier that day; Alyssa glancing away like she was scared to get caught staring. A flicker of hope flared in her chest, but she squashed it down immediately. “It’s just not going to happen, okay?”

Her tone was final enough that Betsy didn’t say anything more, no matter how much she looked like she wanted to. And Emma wanted to believe her, she really did… but she couldn’t let herself get her hopes up. Nothing real could happen between her and Alyssa, and Emma was just going to have to find a way to make peace with that. Preferably before they kissed on live television.

* * *

“I just don’t get it, Shelby,” Alyssa sighed, sitting next to her friend and rubbing her eyes with one hand. “You ask me for my help, but then you don’t actually tell me what’s wrong.”

“You already know what’s wrong,” Shelby replied shortly, staring straight in front of her, where Jess and Kyle were doing their camera blocking rehearsal on the dance floor.

“Not really,” Alyssa pointed out, keeping her voice quiet. “All I know is that you like Kaylee. No specifics.”

Shelby flinched a little, but stay put. “She’s my best friend,” she said slowly. “And I don’t know what to do. It’s killing me, watching the two of them be like that.”

“I’m sorry.” Alyssa wanted to wrap her up in a hug, but Shelby really didn’t look like she was in the mood, so she refrained. “Has she said how she feels about him?”

“Not specifically, but they’re a thing, so… clearly she likes him at least a little bit,” Shelby said. “Besides, last I knew, she’s straight.”

“Well, in all fairness, I thought you were straight. And look at us now.”

“I’ve known that I’m bi for a while,” Shelby said, raising an eyebrow. “You just never asked.”

Alyssa winced. “Sorry. Here I am making fun of people for assuming I’m straight when I’ve been doing the same thing about you.”

“It’s okay,” Shelby assured her. “I didn’t exactly drop any hints.”

There was silence for a long moment, as Jess and Kyle reached the end of their last run-through and high-fived before exiting the dance floor to make room for Carrie and Elliott. Then, Shelby spoke again.

“This whole thing is just weird,” she said. “The way Kaylee’s acting… it’s starting to feel a little different, and I can’t put my finger on why.”

“I know what you mean,” Alyssa said thoughtfully. “Everything’s just slightly _off_. But I don’t know what it is.”

Shelby laughed humorlessly. “Well, let me know if you figure it out.”

“And you let me know if you figure out anything I can do to help.”

“Get your head out of your ass and kiss Emma,” Shelby said immediately.

Alyssa opened and closed her mouth a few times, only just stopping herself from confessing that she’d already kissed Emma twice, if only for the routine. She only just stopped herself from telling Shelby that she was falling in love with Emma, too, because if she said it out loud then there would be no taking it back. And it was terrifying. So, instead of saying everything that was on the tip of her tongue, Alyssa just let out a breathless laugh.

“Hilarious.”

“I was being deadly serious.”

Alyssa spotted a scowling, newly-tanned Emma heading in their direction. “Gotta go, Shelbs.”

Shelby just scoffed, waving her off with a sort of fond exasperation. Alyssa hurried over to Emma, meeting her halfway with a bright smile. Emma glowered at her.

“No comments, please,” she said.

“I wouldn’t dare,” Alyssa said. “I, um, actually wanted to run something by you.”

Emma’s expression shifted to one of nervousness. “Okay?”

“I know that in our camera blocking and dress run we’re meant to do the routine exactly how we’ll do it on the night,” Alyssa said quickly. “But I think we should leave the kiss out until the live show. I just don’t want anyone getting footage of it that they could use as some sort of promo material, you know?”

“Yeah, I agree,” Emma said, relaxing a little. “Shall we do it with the hug today, so that we don’t mess up the camera blocking too badly for the crew?”

Alyssa nodded. “Good thinking.”

Emma looked over Alyssa’s shoulder, to where Shelby was presumably still sitting. “Is she okay?”

“Not exactly,” Alyssa said.

“Well, let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

Alyssa looked at her in surprise. Emma and Shelby hadn’t exactly talked a lot, and here Emma was, sincerely offering her help in any way possible with a situation she knew nothing about. Alyssa melted a little bit, as she always seemed to do in Emma’s presence. “I will.”

* * *

“Do you want to do one more run-through and then call it a night?” Alyssa asked, pushing her hair back out of her sweaty face.

Emma took a long drink of her water. “Sure. What time is it, by the way?”

“Uh, almost nine-thirty,” Alyssa said, glancing up at the clock. “So, yeah, I think one more run should do it.”

“Game faces on, then?” Emma asked with a grin.

Alyssa snorted. “Maximum effort.”

She walked over to where her phone was plugged in, going to restart the song before pausing and looking at Emma cautiously. It was a similar look to the one she’d given Emma earlier before their camera blocking rehearsal.

“Should we… should we run it with the kiss this time? Just to, uh, make sure we’re both still comfortable with it and stuff.”

Emma’s mouth went dry. She was exhausted after a long day, and the prospect of an even longer one tomorrow, but she suddenly felt wide awake. “Y-Yeah. Sure.”

“Okay,” Alyssa said quietly, her voice barely carrying to Emma.

She pressed play on her phone, and walked quickly over to her starting position. As soon as the – now incredibly familiar – opening notes rang out, Emma tried to just focus on the dance. She’d gotten pretty good at that over the past couple of days, without the nerves in her stomach at the prospect of kissing Alyssa, but now those nerves were back with a vengeance.

The steps were second nature to Emma by now, and she was surprised by just how well she’d taken to the Rumba. Latin wasn’t her forte, but maybe the slower tempo of this particular style was helping. Or maybe she was actually getting better at picking up new dances as the weeks went on.

Alyssa’s hair whipped around her face as she spun, falling into her eyes in a way that perhaps shouldn’t be as attractive as Emma found it. At the part in the dance where Emma was meant to cup her face with both hands, she couldn’t help but move Alyssa’s hair out of the way again. Alyssa’s gaze dropped from Emma’s eyes for just a second, and Emma felt as if sparks were shooting from her fingertips.

She twirled Alyssa again near the end of the routine, wrapping her right arm around her back straight after as she lowered her into a dip – the second of two in their routine. She bent forwards as Alyssa bent backwards, turning her head and laying it on Alyssa’s sternum for a lingering moment. She closed her eyes, hearing Alyssa’s heartbeat against her ear for just a second. It seemed a little faster than it usually did by this point in the routine, but she _had _said that they were going for maximum effort in this run.

Emma brought them both back upright, standing behind Alyssa with one hand on the small of her back. Alyssa’s hand, reaching behind her, was on the back of her neck, trailing over her cheek as she started to walk away. Impassioned by the dance, Emma caught her other hand a little more desperately than usual. Alyssa stopped and turned around. Her eyes were burning. She stepped impossibly close.

The kiss knocked all the breath from Emma’s lungs and, immediately, it felt different than their previous two had been. Emma’s bottom lip was caught between Alyssa’s, as opposed to before, when their lips had been pressed gently together. There was no space at all between their bodies. This kiss set Emma’s insides on fire, and she was powerless to do anything but clutch at Alyssa’s waist with her free hand and try not to let her own knees buckle.

They separated only to come back together again, Alyssa’s hand sliding up from Emma’s cheek to tangle in her hair. Emma shivered as she felt blunt nails scratch her scalp. Her lips parted and she only just managed to stifle a soft noise in the back of her throat. Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest, electricity lighting up her veins as she kissed Alyssa for longer than she ever had before, and she’d never felt this kind of longing.

This kiss felt like falling in love.

The thought made her brain grind to a halt. Alyssa pulled away as soon as Emma stopped kissing her back, eyes wide and lips parted as silence descended over the studio. Emma swallowed hard. Her hand was still clasped tightly in Alyssa’s, and she was staring into her eyes and wondering just how badly she’d fucked up by realizing what she was truly feeling.

“Sorry.” Emma’s voice was strained. She hoped Alyssa didn’t catch on to just how much she was apologizing for.

“No, I’m sorry,” Alyssa said hoarsely. “That was—I didn’t mean to—I know it was meant to be shorter. I promise I won’t do that tomorrow, I—I’m sorry.”

Emma wanted to reassure her that she didn’t mind; far from it, in fact. But she couldn’t. Not without giving away how she really felt. But Alyssa looked as if she was starting to panic, so Emma did the best she could do, and squeezed her hand.

“It’s okay.”

Alyssa relaxed a little, her gaze dropping briefly from Emma’s eyes once more before she blinked rapidly and took a step back. Their hands left each other, and Emma willed things not to get more awkward. This had perhaps been the worst possible moment to discover the true extent of her feelings.

Swallowing her panic over the whole thing, Emma tried to put it to the back of her mind. She was completely and utterly screwed, but she still had a lot to get through before she let herself think too much about the fact that she might be in love with Alyssa.

Holy shit.

She might be _in love _with Alyssa.

* * *

Since she and Emma were the second-to-last couple to dance, it gave Alyssa a lot of time to get more and more stressed about their performance. They hadn’t talked much about the previous night’s kiss; Alyssa had just made a weak joke emphasizing that it would be more like the first kiss. She felt awful for letting herself get carried away kissing Emma. Guilty, too, for taking advantage of the opportunity to kiss the woman she was falling in love with like it was real.

It wasn’t real.

Even if she thought that maybe Emma had kissed her back, it wasn’t real.

Emma was more nervous than usual about this dance, too. Alyssa could tell. She spent a lot of her time looking at Emma and she reasoned that by now she probably knew her body language and her physical tells better than anyone, aside from Betsy. That being said, it didn’t take an expert to see how apprehensive she was.

Alyssa stayed close to her throughout the broadcast as they watched the other couples dance. She tried not to crowd her, but to be close enough for Emma to take comfort in her presence if she needed to. It was hard, though, because all Alyssa wanted to do was wrap Emma up in her arms and promise her that everything was going to be fine.

But she couldn’t stop thinking about kissing her. It had been bad before yesterday, but after the kiss at the end of their final rehearsal, it was all that was on her mind. Alyssa wondered if suggesting the kiss in the first place was perhaps the dumbest thing she’d ever done.

Finally, it was their turn.

With only Nick and Kaylee to perform after them, Alyssa walked hand in hand with Emma onto the dance floor, getting into position as Tom introduced their video package. Some of the pairs had gone for a cheesy theme to match their movie week genre, but Alyssa had physically cringed at the thought of doing that with Emma, so their video package was pretty normal. Alyssa did notice, however, that every clip of her talking about the Rumba being a very intimate and romantic dance had been put in the video, which didn’t really surprise her.

“I feel…” the Alyssa on the screen said, trailing off for a moment before continuing. “Nervous, I guess. I want people to like the routine, and I just hope my choreo measures up to what people have in their heads.”

“You got this,” the real Alyssa whispered to Emma over the top of the piano set piece they were standing by.

Emma’s costume was unlike any Rumba costume Alyssa had ever seen. She was wearing a predominantly red flannel paired with stretchy blue jeans that she could dance in, and her hair was artfully messy in a way that made her look soft and cute and, honestly, really hot. Alyssa didn’t know how she did it.

As soon as the music started, Alyssa was a goner. Emma was fully committed to the routine, gazing steadily into her eyes as she performed the dance pretty much flawlessly. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Alyssa was bursting with pride at how far Emma had come, but in the moment her brain was solely occupied by the woman she was dancing with. Her eyes, and her hair, and her hands, and her hips… Alyssa’s face felt hot.

Standing behind Emma during the chorus of the song, Alyssa swallowed heavily as she ran her hands up Emma’s back and around to her shoulders. God, Emma had nice shoulders. She rested her cheek on the back of Emma’s neck for half a second, Emma’s head bent forwards as she ran a hand through her hair, in-character. Alyssa let one of her hands trail along the small of Emma’s back as she walked around to face her, spinning closer before Emma caught her forearms and pulled her into an embrace.

As Alyssa’s leg went around her hip, Emma’s thigh slotted between her own, and Alyssa couldn’t help the soft gasp that escaped her, right into Emma’s ear. She could feel Emma’s arms around her, and her face buried in the crook of her neck. Alyssa wrapped her left leg tighter around Emma’s hips in preparation for the first of the two dips in the routine, trying very hard _not _to think about the increasing warmth between her own thighs.

God, why had she choreographed this?

Alyssa was almost surprised to find that she remembered the steps that she’d come up with, because there was a kind of heat spreading through her body at an alarming rate and shutting off her brain function, and it was all Emma’s doing.

By the time they were nearing the end of the routine, Alyssa had almost forgotten how nervous she was about the kiss. But as soon as Emma’s cheek was pressed gently against her sternum in the second of the two dips, she remembered. She was about to kiss Emma on national television, and nobody watching would be expecting it, except for Betsy. Shit. Emma’s _grandma _was in the front row of the audience.

Alyssa’s brain blanked completely as she realized just how many people were watching. She let muscle memory of the steps take over, the anticipation rising within her the closer they got to the end of the routine. She took a deep breath, and began to walk away from Emma. Like always, she felt Emma’s hand reach out and take hold of her own. This was it.

She turned around to meet Emma’s gaze. She looked so earnest, and so heartbroken, and Alyssa almost couldn’t bear it. She clung tightly to Emma’s hand and stepped impossibly close, cupping her cheek with her free hand and kissing her with everything she had. Everything else melted away, leaving Alyssa with Emma and the fading notes of the song.

Alyssa put all the emotion, and the words she didn’t dare say out loud, into this one kiss, not knowing whether or not she wanted Emma to understand. Emma’s lips were soft against her own, kissing her back just a little desperately. Alyssa brushed her thumb over Emma’s cheekbone once, and then forced herself to break the kiss.

For a split-second after Alyssa opened her eyes, it was still just the two of them. And then Emma’s gaze left hers as the cheering appeared to register in her ears, and all of a sudden Alyssa could hear it, too. She blinked, looking around to see the audience rise to their feet and give them a standing ovation. She looked back to Emma; her eyes were wide and dark, and Alyssa felt as if she might just fall into them.

She didn’t know how they got over to the judges’ table. One moment she was standing on the other side of the dance floor, and the next, she was holding onto Emma’s hand for dear life as Tom asked Dee Dee for her feedback.

“I saw one minor mistake in the middle from you, Emma,” she said, the end of her sentence being drowned out by the audience’s protests. Emma, however, listened keenly. “But I must say, that was one of the best Rumbas I’ve ever seen on this show. I wasn’t sure about the song at first, but the choreography _really _made it work, and I’m so glad it’s the song you went with.”

Alyssa sagged in relief. Dee Dee was a stickler for tradition, and she’d been a little worried that the unconventional song choice might work against them as far as she was concerned.

Angie was next to give her comments. “Girls, that was simply magical. Your chemistry is unlike anyone else’s; there’s just something about the two of you that captures everybody’s hearts. This was a dance that I was able to let myself get caught up in the emotion of, and forget that I’m meant to be passing judgement on. Amazing job.”

“Barry? How about you?” Tom asked, once the clapping for Angie’s comments had died down a little. “You look a little misty-eyed.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Barry insisted. He fixed Emma and Alyssa with a look that made Alyssa feel as if he somehow knew how she felt. “Thank you, ladies, for the perfect dance of romance. I couldn’t fault it, and honestly I have no idea what mistake Dee Dee saw, because all I saw was complete and utter perfection. Thank you for the story you portrayed, and for letting us all be a part of it.”

Alyssa could hardly believe it. She’d known the dance had gone really well, but this feedback was still beyond her wildest dreams. She felt as if she was bursting with pride as she looked over at Emma to see a giddy smile on her face. Alyssa’s heart skipped a beat.

Trent was waiting for them, as usual, in the Sky Box. As they climbed the stairs, Alyssa kept her eyes firmly on him, because she could feel the pointed stares of all the other pro dancers. She especially kept her eyes averted from Shelby’s as she made her way to stand with Trent in front of the camera.

“Congratulations on a beautiful performance,” Trent greeted them. “One question. The couple in the movie don’t actually end up together, right?”

Alyssa knew where this was going. “No, but the routine just didn’t feel right with us separating at the end. Particularly given our chosen genre. So we decided to take some… creative liberties.”

A few of the pro dancers whooped behind her. She heard Jules yell, “I’ll say!” and made a mental note to kill him at a later date.

“That reminds me of a time where a fellow student at Julliard and I reimagined a scene to – instead of ending with a fight – end with a love sce—”

Trent cut himself off, looking concerned. Alyssa suspected he’d just heard a lot of yelling in his earpiece.

“But enough about me. Regardless, the scores are now in.”

Alyssa’s heartbeat pounded loudly in her ears as she turned to face the monitor. She felt like this every week, but this dance had become incredibly important to her. Besides, after tomorrow, there would only be seven couples left in the competition, and she wanted her and Emma to be one of them so badly. She knew, in her heart, that they deserved to be.

Angie wasn’t even trying to hide her smile. “Ten!”

The crowd’s roar was instantaneous. They weren’t the first pair to get a ten this season, but it was _their _first ten, and it was everything. Alyssa flung her arms around Emma’s neck, keeping her eyes on the monitor. She felt Emma’s arms wrap gently around her waist from the side.

“Ten!” Barry yelled, holding up his scoring paddle with a flourish.

Alyssa tried to figure out Dee Dee’s mask. Nobody had gotten a perfect score yet. Could this be it?

The seconds felt like years, and then it was time for Dee Dee’s mark. “Nine.”

Boos erupted from the audience, let by Betsy, no doubt. All Alyssa could do was slump against Emma as a whirlwind of emotions overtook her. They’d scored 29. Only one point off of a perfect score. It had been judged as their best dance yet, and the joint best dance of the entire season so far.

She’d kissed Emma. On television. And the world hadn’t imploded.

* * *

**hoe **@timewives: EHAT THE ACUTAL FRICK FRACL FUCK JSUT HAPPENED DID I HALUCINTE OR DID TEHY KISS

**not kara **@emmagreene: BITCH THE FUCK IM ON THE FUCKING FLOOR

**leigh **@moveimgay: @emmagreene: I THINK IT WAS CHOREOGRAPHED BUT THEY STILL DID THAT EYE—

**not kara **@emmagreene: @moveimgay I THINK IT’S AN EXCELLENT TIME TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT ALYSSA DOES THE CHOREOGRAPHY THIS BITCH GAY AS HELL

**leigh **@moveimgay: @emmagreene YUORE SO RIGHT

**leigh **@alyssanolan: new @ who dis

**alice **@wooloowoo: MY GF JUST ASKED IF THEYRE TOGETHER IRL I DIDNT KNOW WHAT TO TELL HER,,, 1-800-R-U-FUCKING

* * *

They had barely gone to commercial break before Emma’s arm was seized by Carrie and she was dragged away to a corner of the Sky Box.

“What the fuck was that?”

“It was a Rumba,” Emma said, trying her best to deflect the questions she knew were coming. It didn’t work.

“I could see that for myself,” Carrie said impatiently. “I could also see the fact that the two of you kissed. How long has that been in the routine for?”

Emma felt her cheeks flush. “Since Thursday.”

“Thursday?!” Carrie was incredulous. “And you didn’t tell me? After you spent an hour on the phone spilling your guts to me about Alyssa last week?”

“We didn’t want people to know,” Emma said defensively. “We couldn’t risk word getting back to someone who would want to promo it. That’s why we didn’t kiss in the dress rehearsal.”

Carrie just shook her head. “How many times have you kissed her?”

“Only four,” Emma said, quick to clarify. “It’s not—she suggested it as a way to end the dance happily and I just—I was selfish and didn’t say no.”

“Hey, hey, you’re not selfish for kissing her when she was the one who pitched it,” Carrie said immediately. “And did you ever consider that she might be feeling the same as you?”

Emma tried to say no. But something stopped her. The way Alyssa had kissed her in their final studio rehearsal had been on her mind ever since, and she couldn’t stop herself from wondering if the kiss had meant something to her, too.

“Even if she did, we’re still in this competition,” Emma said instead. “We can’t let ourselves get distracted.”

It felt like an old excuse even to her own ears, like it was all she’d been saying lately, but it was true as far as she was concerned.

“I don’t know, Emma, I feel like neither of you actually communicating your feelings might be the biggest distraction of all,” Carrie sighed, patting her on the shoulder. “Great job tonight, by the way.”

The show came back on air before Emma could respond. She furrowed her brow as Carrie’s words registered in her brain, turning her attention to where Nick and Kaylee’s Sci-Fi Paso Doble was being introduced and wondering if she could be right.

* * *

“Not so fast, Greene.”

Alyssa groaned, pulling her regular t shirt back over her head as she registered Shelby’s voice coming from right beind her. “What do you want?”

“You know,” Shelby said conversationally, meeting Alyssa’s eyes in the mirror. “When I told you to get your head out of your ass and kiss Emma, I didn’t think you’d actually do it.”

“It’s not what you—”

“Think? Yeah, I know that now,” Shelby said. “You made it pretty clear that it was choreographed, rather than a spur of the moment thing.”

“Exactly.”

Shelby narrowed her eyes. “I am, however, going to sue you for emotional distress. Because those few minutes where I thought I’d witnessed the two of you finally getting your shit together…”

“That’ll teach you for getting overly invested in my business,” Alyssa muttered under her breath. Shelby just smirked at her.

“That was quite some kiss, though,” she said nonchalantly. “Looked like the two of you were very committed to your roles.”

“We’re both very good actors,” Alyssa said shortly.

“I thought Emma said a couple weeks ago that she couldn’t act.”

Alyssa paused. “I—”

“Just something for you to think about,” Shelby said, turning to leave. She paused in the doorway of the female pros’ dressing room. “For real, though, we’re going to talk about this at some point. Not right now, because you look a little… tense, after that kiss.”

And with a wink, she was gone. Alyssa sighed, putting her sweater on and grabbing her bag before heading for her car. She didn’t particularly want to talk about it. As she started the engine and drove back home, she couldn’t help but let Shelby’s words stick in her mind. Sure, she felt a little tense, but what Shelby was insinuating…

All throughout dinner and her night-time routine, Alyssa kept thinking about her dance with Emma. The way Emma had looked at her, and how it had made her feel. The kiss. All of it. And now, sat bolt upright in her bed, not even remotely tired, she let out a groan at the realization that Shelby was right about one thing. She was definitely more than a little turned on.

She rationalized that since she hadn’t masturbated in a while – or had sex in a _long _while – then it was perfectly normal that a dance like that might affect her, especially seeing as she was almost painfully attracted to her dance partner. It didn’t mean that Emma _specifically _had made her feel like this.

Alyssa knew it was bullshit as soon as she thought it, but she needed an excuse to make herself feel less guilty about what she was considering doing.

Letting herself sink down until she was lying on her back, Alyssa closed her eyes. Keeping her mind firmly away from Emma, she slowly trailed one hand down her body and over the top of her underwear. Her breath caught slightly in her throat as she felt how wet she was, even through the fabric, and she bit down hard on her bottom lip as she made a decision.

Deciding that she couldn’t keep torturing herself, Alyssa slipped her hand under the waistband. A ragged gasp left her as soon as her fingers made contact. She’d known already that she was turned on, but actually feeling the evidence of what Emma – no, the _dance _– had done to her made her head start to spin.

Alyssa tried to muffle the soft whimpers she was making as she lightly circled her clit with one finger, but it was no use. Her free hand went under her shirt to her breasts, wishing that it was someone else’s hands on her. Forcing her mind away from Emma once more, Alyssa slowly slipped a finger inside herself, making a keening sound as soon as she did so and letting her hips rise to meet her hand.

She added another finger, building herself up embarrassingly quickly. Her fingers moved faster, pressed deeper, drew her higher and higher, and Alyssa was powerless to do anything but keep going. She pinched a nipple between a thumb and finger of her left hand, an extra little jolt going through her.

Alyssa could feel herself getting close already.

Her left hand travelled down her body to join the other, the tip of her finger brushing over her clit and making her hips jerk sharply. Alyssa turned her head to the side as she began to trace circles around her clit again, her face feeling like it was on fire as she buried it into her pillow. Her mind drifted back to the dance; to the feeling of Emma’s body against hers. Images of Emma’s thigh pressing between her legs flooded her mind, and her hips bucked again, hard.

All of a sudden, it was Emma’s hands on her, roaming around her body. Emma’s fingers inside her, a thumb circling her clit. Emma’s lips kissing every inch of skin she could. Emma’s weight on top of her as she leaned over to whisper in Alyssa’s ear. Alyssa cried out as the ghost of imaginary Emma's words sent her over the edge. Her muscles stiffened, her walls tightened around her fingers, and waves of white-hot pleasure began to wash over her. Her hips twitched as she rode out her orgasm, finally slumping on the mattress once it was over.

As Alyssa began to return to herself, she was suddenly hit with a wave of something else – shame.

She couldn’t believe she’d just let herself come while thinking about Emma. This was bad. This was beyond bad. How was she meant to look Emma in the eyes ever again after this? Alyssa gulped as she remembered how Emma would always hold her during eliminations. She’d tried so hard not to let her thoughts drift to Emma, but it had happened anyway.

Alyssa’s breathing slowly returned to normal, the sated feeling of her body in complete contrast to how anxious she felt mentally. Tomorrow was definitely going to be a challenge.

* * *

Emma could have cried with relief when Alyssa told her that, assuming they made it through to next week, they’d have a Quickstep.

It was one of the least sexy dances there was, and would probably be enough to tire her out to the point where she couldn’t even think about her feelings for Alyssa, let alone act upon them. Especially after…

_Stop thinking about it. She’s sitting right next to you. She definitely doesn’t need to know the way you thought about her last night._

Clearing her throat, Emma tried to focus on her plate of food from craft services, rather than how she’d finally caved and touched herself the previous night when Alyssa had refused to leave her thoughts. She suddenly remembered the way Alyssa had gasped into her ear during the dance. Her cheeks flushed, and she kept her eyes firmly on her plate as Alyssa kept talking about next week.

“So the theme is Halloween,” Alyssa said hurriedly. “I’m still looking for a song that will work for a Quickstep while also being spooky enough, but I’ll find one before rehearsal tomorrow.”

“Cool,” Emma managed, glancing up for the briefest of moments, but not looking Alyssa in the eye.

Not that Alyssa seemed to be looking her in the eye, either. Emma wondered if some of the stuff she may have seen on twitter after the show had made her uncomfortable. Betsy had liked and retweeted enough, after all.

The hours until the results show crawled by. Emma tried her best to act normal, but it was difficult when her brain kept reminding her how guilty she felt for crossing the line she had crossed. Alyssa could never know about it, that was for sure. Emma spent the afternoon talking to some of the other competitors, including people like Winnie and Marcus, who she hadn’t spoken to that much until now. It was actually kind of nice, but it didn’t really help with getting her mind off of Alyssa when the conversation kept coming back to dancing.

After what seemed like an eternity, Emma was getting dressed in the same costume she’d worn for Monday night’s show and letting someone put the finishing touches to her hair and makeup before they went live. Nerves started to flutter in her stomach, like they always did, only they’d been getting worse with each passing week because, as they got further and further into the competition, Emma started letting herself believe that she could make it into the final. She wanted to win so badly it frightened her; she’d never thought she’d be in with a shot, but she and Alyssa had actually topped this week’s leaderboard. Maybe they did stand a chance, after all.

The elimination show was nerve-wracking for another reason, too, because Emma suddenly realized that – if she didn’t want to tip Alyssa off to something being wrong – she would have to wrap her arms around her waist from behind like she always did. She felt as if she shouldn’t be allowed to hold Alyssa like this. She hated the way she loved feeling their bodies pressed together under the spotlight, Alyssa’s finger movements on the back of her neck doing weird things to her stomach.

“The first couple through to next week’s Halloween show is…” Tom kicked things off. “Marcus and Shelby!”

It was Trent’s turn next. “Also through to the Spooktacular is… Emma and Alyssa!”

The crowd cheered for them, but Emma barely heard it over the blood rushing in her ears. She blew out a breath, noticing goosebumps rise along the skin of Alyssa’s arms just before their spotlight went out. Alyssa turned around in her arms like always to hug her, and Emma let herself sink into it for a moment.

They watched, safe, throughout the rest of the show as the rest of the couples’ fates were announced. Noah and Hayden: safe. Jess and Kyle: in jeopardy. Winnie and Kevin: safe. Natalie and Jules: safe. Carrie and Elliott: safe. Kaylee and Nick: in jeopardy.

Emma felt Alyssa stiffen at her side as the two ‘in danger’ pairs stepped forward. Kaylee was one of Alyssa's best friends, after all, and it was odd that she and Nick were in the bottom two. Emma had been under the impression that the nation couldn’t get enough of the two of them and their romance.

“Unfortunately, only one of the couples standing before us will make it through to next week,” Tom announced solemnly. “The couple going home tonight is…”

Emma didn’t know how much time passed, but she felt her heart jack-hammering in her chest. God, this had to be torture for both pairs. Finally, Tom announced the result.

“Nick and Kaylee.”

There was a gasp from the crowd. Jess and Kyle both sagged with relief, and Nick’s forehead dropped to rest on the top of Kaylee’s head. Kaylee’s eyes were screwed shut. Emma didn’t dare breathe as she looked at Alyssa.

Alyssa’s eyes were wide, staring at the eliminated couple with a slight crease in her forehead. Emma saw her eyes dart over to Shelby, who looked shocked. A million conflicting feelings played across Shelby’s face, so quickly that Emma couldn’t tell how she was actually feeling. Clearly, this was a surprise elimination for everyone.

At least it had briefly gotten Emma’s mind off of Alyssa.

* * *

**freddie **@sapphicsamba: oh SHIT i did not see that coming #dwts

**ocean **@zazzhands: @sapphicsamba if im honest i kinda did?? like their chemistry pales in comparison when theyre up right after our fave lesbians lbr

**vote emlyssa **@letsgolesbians: the hets have been defeated let us all rejoice

**jojo is tired **@dwtstans: aw man i was rooting for nick and Kaylee

**connor **@lgbtango: important question for @officialemmanolan and @AlyssaGreene are you dating???

**alice **@wooloowoo: @lgbtango DONT FUCKING @ THEM YOU MORON

**hoe **@timewives: yo is anyone else still not over the fact that emma and alyssa kissed and that footage like exists forever because i am UNWELL just thinking about it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading! again, sorry it took so long - hopefully the next chapter won't take almost 2 weeks to write!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wowww okay this chapter didn't have anything 3 days ago but here it is! enjoy what was originally meant to be a filler chapter but turned into... not that. thank yous directed to dani, everybody!
> 
> enjoy!

Chapter Seven: Halloween Week

* * *

**it’s gonna get bad / yeah it’s gonna get worse**

* * *

“Great job, guys,” Art said, wrapping up their first choreo session of the week. “The opening Spooktacular is looking amazing already. Special thanks to Shelby and Kevin for taking the lead on this number.”

Alyssa bumped shoulders with Shelby and gave Kevin a wide smile. Kevin beamed back, running a hand through his hair and puffing out his red cheeks. He was clearly feeling the effects of the energetic Jazz routine he and Shelby had been tasked with spearheading. In his defense, they’d been working for a solid two hours on it this morning, and everyone looked a little tired. Alyssa herself wasn’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of teaching the Quickstep for five or six hours this afternoon.

Well, she was, but only because it was Emma she was teaching.

Truth be told, she still felt a little bit awkward around Emma, but nothing had seemed to change between them after the kiss on the show, so she was taking that as a positive. It had definitely appeared to have the intended effect, if the snippets of reactions she’d seen in her twitter mentions had been any indication. People reaching out and thanking her for normalizing a lesbian narrative in her choreo. People telling her that she and Emma had validated what their own family looked like. People grateful that they hadn’t made the kiss into a spectacle; that they’d just let it be what it was.

Alyssa had also noticed that there were a lot more people tweeting at her and asking how she identified. She definitely didn’t want to come out over twitter, but it had made her start to wonder if maybe it was time to be more open about being a lesbian. Maybe not announce it anywhere, but if she continued with just being herself in the open then maybe that would be enough.

“Have you seen this meme?” Kaylee asked, derailing Alyssa’s train of thought.

“Huh?”

She took the phone from Kaylee, not missing the furtive glance Kaylee sent to Shelby, who was studiously avoiding her gaze. Alyssa was oddly relieved that at least she wasn’t the only one who was kind of a disaster right now. She squinted at the picture on the screen.

“Why does this mouse look so freaked out?”

Kaylee gasped. “It’s a _hamster_, Alyssa. And it’s funny. Look at the writing on it.”

“’I can’t fucking take it. Seriously I’m at my limit.’ I’m confused.” Alyssa handed the phone back.

“This person put that in response to your routine,” Kaylee explained with a long-suffering sigh. “Translation: they loved it. Especially the kiss.”

“Oh,” Alyssa said. “Well, that’s good, I guess.”

“There’s a bunch more like it,” Kaylee said, scrolling through her phone. “Your dance with Emma was definitely the talk of the twitter tag. I told you a little publicity wouldn’t hurt.”

“That’s not why we kissed,” Alyssa said immediately. “I wasn’t trying to get votes, I just—I just thought it worked for the routine.”

“Yeah, Alyssa doesn’t play to the crowd,” Shelby said. The look on her face was hard to pinpoint. “Some people don’t make a literal song and dance out of their relationship.”

“Emma and I aren’t—”

“Where is lover boy, anyway?” Shelby continued, ignoring Alyssa in favor of staring Kaylee down. “He’s usually at the pro rehearsals for some reason, isn’t he?”

Alyssa thought she preferred it when Shelby wasn’t looking at Kaylee, because this was way more uncomfortable. Kaylee’s forehead creased, her eyes sparking with fire.

“I don’t see how it’s any of your business.”

Shelby barked out a laugh. “You made it my business when you started rubbing it in everyone’s faces! Nobody wants to see Nick Boomer slobbering all over you like some seventh grader who’s just learned that he can use his tongue while kissing.”

Alyssa shared a look with Kevin, who winced. Silence descended over the four of them. Kaylee looked hurt, her eyes searching Shelby’s, but not appearing to find answers to any of the questions she had. Eventually, she swallowed and drew herself to her full height, meeting her eyes evenly.

“For someone who’s supposed to be my best friend, you really do know nothing about me.”

Turning on her heel, Kaylee stalked away, leaving behind a crushing awkwardness that only seemed to get heavier the longer nobody spoke. Shelby’s fists were clenched by her sides, her eyes closed and her jaw tense. Alyssa didn’t know what was going on in her head, but she’d bet that it wasn’t anything good.

Kevin cleared his throat. “Does anyone wanna grab lunch?”

* * *

“I can’t believe a week went by so quickly,” Emma complained, putting the plates in the dishwasher. “Although I’m glad you decided to change your flight and spend an extra couple of days here with me.”

“Well someone has to be there to catch you at the end of the day when rehearsal tires you out too much,” Betsy said with a warm smile.

“It’s only Thursday and yet I already know that I won’t make it to the live show,” Emma said, walking to join her grandmother on the couch. “I have strong words for whoever decided to give me a Quickstep.”

“At least Alyssa managed to find a song that worked,” Betsy pointed out. “_Man With the Hex _might be energetic enough to rub off on you.”

Emma snorted. “Maybe. Honestly, I’m not really paying a lot of attention to the song at the moment. I’m more focused on my feet.”

“Now there’s where you’re going wrong,” Betsy said. “You’re a musician, Emma. Focus on the damn music. The rest will come.”

“Huh.”

“Dancing is instinct,” she continued. “Sure, you’re learning the steps themselves, but so much of it is already in your body; more than you know. Trust your instincts.”

“I’ll try, gran,” Emma said.

“Speaking of trusting your instincts…” Betsy said, eyes glinting. “I think you know what I’m going to ask.”

Emma sighed heavily. “You’re going to ask if I’ve given any more thought to the possibility of Alyssa liking me back.”

“Well, have you?”

“I don’t know,” Emma said, rubbing her eyes behind her glasses. “Things are a little weird between us right now. Like, nothing’s actually changed, but there’s this tension and I don’t know if I’m the only one who’s feeling it. Or, at least, I don’t know if we’re feeling tension for the same reason.”

Betsy’s brow furrowed. “Is it an awkward tension?”

“Not exactly?” Emma’s voice rose in pitch slightly. “It’s more like I’m just second-guessing the stuff I used to take for granted. Like hugging her, or joking around. I’m just trying to be professional.”

“Well, maybe Alyssa’s taking her lead from you,” Betsy said. “She _was _the one who choreographed the kiss that you two still haven’t really talked about.”

That gave Emma pause. “Maybe.”

“I think if you stay as comfortable as you can around her, then you’ll find the tension eases,” her grandma said with a shrug. “And if it doesn’t, then maybe the tension is being caused by something else.”

“Sometimes I let myself think that maybe she likes me back,” Emma admitted quietly. “But everything would get so complicated.”

“It doesn’t have to.”

“Alyssa’s mom had it drilled into her from an early age that she can’t have any distractions,” Emma said, smiling ruefully. “I’m not naïve enough to think that she’d throw away over twenty years of that just for me.”

“Don’t think of it as her throwing away what she’s been taught,” Betsy said. “Think of it as her learning that she can have more than what she’s been led to believe she can.”

“I can make it until the end of the competition,” Emma decided. “Even if by some miracle we make it to the final, that’s still another four weeks. If I think there’s a chance, then I’ll tell her how I feel. Deal?”

“Depends on who you’re making the deal with,” Betsy said shrewdly. “Me? Or yourself?”

Emma opened her mouth, and then closed it again. “It’ll be fine,” she said eventually. “If I can survive kissing her for a routine, then I can survive anything.”

* * *

“I missed the last fucking lock step, didn’t I?” Emma gasped for breath as they reached the end of the routine halfway through their Friday rehearsal.

Alyssa puffed out her cheeks. “You did,” she confirmed.

“Shit.”

“Hey, it was just that one step you missed,” Alyssa said quickly. “You got the rest of it right.”

“Yeah, but the lock step is meant to be one of the easy ones.”

“It was just a blip,” Alyssa said. “Your timing on everything else was perfect. The leap between the quick runs across the diagonal? Completely synchronized. That’s what the judges will be looking for.”

“Will they also be looking to see if I can execute a basic lock step?”

Alyssa rolled her eyes fondly. “Don’t beat yourself up, Em. Quickstep is hard; even just getting used to the pace of it.”

“I’ve been sleeping really well at night, at least,” Emma joked weakly.

“Me too,” Alyssa said. “I’m starting to think I’m not in shape enough for this plus a Jazz routine.”

“In what world are you not in shape enough?” Emma asked incredulously, her eyes scanning Alyssa’s body. It made Alyssa’s face feel warm.

“In this one, I suppose,” she said quickly, clearing her throat to get Emma’s attention. “Wanna go again?”

“Sure,” Emma said, brushing a dampened lock of blonde hair out of her face. “But can we have a break after that? I’m exhausted.”

“Of course,” Alyssa said immediately. She was honestly relieved; both for the upcoming respite, and that Emma was telling her when she needed to rest. She didn’t want a repeat of Jazz week, after all.

During the next run-through, she could tell that Emma was giving the dance her all. She was energetic, and remarkably light on her feet given how tired her body was getting, and stayed perfectly in sync with Alyssa throughout the whole thing without putting a foot wrong. Quickstep probably wasn’t Emma’s best dance; the speed of it meant that she was out of her comfort zone, but she was trying her best and it made Alyssa’s heart swell with pride.

“Okay, let’s take ten,” Alyssa said, once they were done. She grabbed her phone from where it was plugged in to set a timer, sitting with her back against the wall and taking a long drink from her water bottle.

Emma sat next to her, draining her own bottle and breathing heavily. Alyssa offered Emma her half-full bottle, because she still looked thirsty, which Emma gratefully accepted. She took a few gulps before handing the bottle back, letting her head fall backwards and knock softly against the wall.

“This dance is going to kill me,” Emma sighed. “You’ll have to wheel me into the television studios on a gurney.”

“Well, the plan is for us to be reanimated corpses,” Alyssa said, tilting her head to the side in thought. “So it might actually work.”

Emma smiled tiredly at her, eyes half closed. It reminded Alyssa of the night following their Contemporary performance, when she’d fallen asleep holding Emma after the emotional release that the show had been for her. Alyssa had woken first the next morning, watching as Emma’s eyes blinked open not long after. Emma wasn’t a morning person by any means, and seeing her sleepy expression as she’d grumbled about getting up had made her heart race in her chest.

Now, Emma’s eyes fluttered closed and she mumbled something under her breath before her head slipped from its upright position and landed on Alyssa’s shoulder. Alyssa’s breath caught in her throat, a smile tugging at her lips as she quickly got used to the comforting weight. Emma’s breathing evened out less than a minute later, and Alyssa realized that she had fallen asleep.

She checked her phone, deciding to cancel the alarm she’d already set, and set another one for twenty minutes’ time so that Emma could have a proper power nap. She wasn’t tired enough to sleep herself, but she was actually pretty content with being Emma’s pillow. Besides, Emma was very cute while she slept, and maybe Alyssa could even tell herself that she wasn’t being selfish in letting this happen, because Emma clearly needed this nap.

Alyssa opened her Instagram app, clicking to add to her story and flipping the camera around so that it was on her and Emma. She held her thumb down on the record button, slowly zooming in on Emma’s face until her nose and mouth were filling up the screen. Biting her lip in an effort to stop herself from laughing, Alyssa tagged Emma and typed out a caption with one hand – she didn’t want to lift her other arm and disturb Emma – uploading the video and setting her phone down on the floor.

She leaned her cheek against the top of Emma’s head, closing her eyes in contentment. It was times like these when everything with Emma just felt so simple and right, and Alyssa didn’t have to worry about any of the doubts that usually plagued her mind. Emma tilted her head just so, in a way that meant her nose brushed against Alyssa’s neck and elicited a shiver from her. God, she was screwed.

She was starting to love it, though, in an odd way.

Maybe it was because the way she felt about Emma was starting to feel like the best thing that had ever happened to her, despite the high chance of heartbreak if Emma didn’t feel the same. She probably didn’t feel the same.

But what if she did?

Alyssa swallowed. She usually tried not to let herself consider the possibility of Emma having feelings for her, too, but the voice in her head that said she might was getting harder and harder to ignore. Emma had definitely kissed her back that one time when Alyssa had let their Rumba kiss go on for longer than it should’ve. Alyssa was certain she had kissed her back. Until she hadn’t, which had been enough to snap Alyssa out of her trance.

Another voice – one that sounded weirdly like her mother’s – reminded her that she couldn’t entertain these thoughts, because even if her feelings were requited, she couldn’t be with Emma. Not while there was a competition to win. Maybe after, if they didn’t drift apart once they didn’t have an excuse to see each other every single day. Alyssa bit down hard on her bottom lip. She couldn’t lose Emma.

If she told Emma how she felt, there was a chance she would lose her. She couldn’t risk it. Not yet, at least.

* * *

**alice **@wooloowoo: wait i was gonna make a dumb comment but that video on alyssa’s story is actually adorable

**ocean **@zazzhands: @wooloowoo what was gonna be ur comment??

**alice **@wooloowoo: @zazzhands hhh well funny story my gf fell asleep on me literally just like that

**not kara **@emmagreene: with every passing day my @ grows stronger

**leigh **@alyssanolan: every time one of them posts rehearsal shenanigans i can feel the dumbassery from orlando what kinda talent…

**not kara **@emmagreene: @alyssanolan: WAIT UR IN ORLANDO?? IM IN TAMPA WTF

**leigh **@alyssanolan: @emmagreene FELLOW LIZARD OH MY GOD

**not kara **@emmagreene: @alyssanolan OKAY IF EMLYSSA MAKE IT TO THE FINAL WE ARE HAVING A WATCH PARTY ITS DECIDED

**leigh **@alyssanolan: @emmagreene: DEAL

* * *

“Why did you make me get out of bed so early?” Emma groaned, taking a seat across the table from Carrie and letting her gaze immediately drop to the breakfast menu.

“It’s barely nine-thirty.”

“Yeah,” Emma said. “Early.”

Carrie just rolled her eyes and took a sip of her coffee. “I didn’t know your coffee order, so I didn’t get you one ahead of time. Sorry.”

Emma waved her off. “It’s okay. Already had one when I woke up.”

“This is you after one coffee?” Carrie raised an eyebrow. “Good luck to Alyssa if the two of you ever manage to sort your shit out.”

“I’m going to let that one slide because I am extremely tired,” Emma sighed. “But, for the record, we have a Quickstep this week, so I think I’m perfectly justified in wanting to sleep in.”

“Any excuse.”

Emma glared at her, waiting until they’d both ordered food before letting her curiosity get the best of her. “You still haven’t told me why I’m here. Your text was very mysterious.”

“Well, I genuinely did want to check in with you,” Carrie said, turning more serious. “I feel like we haven’t caught up properly in a little while and I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay.”

“I’m doing better than I thought I would be doing, given everything that’s happening,” Emma said honestly. “Things were a little weird with Alyssa for the first couple days after the show but I think it’s all fine now. Rehearsal yesterday went really great once I’d managed to rest a bit, so I’m pretty happy about how the dance is going even if it’s not my best.”

“I’m glad this week’s going well,” Carrie said with a grin. “And I’m especially glad that Alyssa turned out to be a great pillow.”

Emma’s cheeks flushed. “You saw the insta story?”

“Emma, _everyone _saw it,” Carrie said. “That’s actually the other reason I wanted to talk to you. The stuff on twitter… I just wanted to make sure that nobody’s crossed any lines in what they’re saying.”

“Well, I’ve seen more of it than the people posting it probably intended,” Emma said thoughtfully. “My grandma likes to give people heart attacks by retweeting stuff onto my timeline.”

Carrie snorted, but didn’t interrupt.

“I mean, most of it’s pretty funny,” Emma continued with a shrug. “And they’re not exactly wrong about me having a thing for Alyssa. Some of it’s a bit much, especially the ones who actually tag me, but I just try to ignore a lot of it. The paparazzi are the ones really getting on my nerves.”

“That’s fair,” Carrie said. “But, hey, at least twitter’s not calling you guys fake.”

Emma’s forehead creased. “Why would they do that?”

“Because that’s what people are starting to say about Nick and Kaylee,” Carrie said, fishing her phone out of her pocket and sliding it across the table to Emma.

Emma scrolled through the screenshots Carrie had taken. “How come they think what Nick and Kaylee have is fake?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Carrie said slowly. “I think it didn’t help that they went right after you and Alyssa last week, so a lot of people were making direct comparisons.”

“Nick and Kaylee had a Sci-Fi themed Paso Doble. That doesn’t exactly scream ‘we’re a couple in real life, too’.”

“It’s a passionate dance,” Carrie pointed out. “And people didn’t see the passion they expected. Especially given how all over each other they are on social media and in the paparazzi pictures.”

Emma continued to read the tweets in the pictures. “Some of them are saying how Alyssa and I are more credible as a couple than Nick and Kaylee. But Alyssa and I aren’t a couple.”

“Not yet,” Carrie muttered. “My point is that I don’t think Kaylee’s actually that into Nick.”

“This seems a little invasive,” Emma joked. She paused. “I mean, there’s definitely something not quite right, but I don’t know if it’s that. Alyssa thinks there’s something up, too. I can tell.”

“I haven’t actually talked to anyone about it,” Carrie said quickly. “I’m just wondering, is all. And I just hope everything’s okay.”

“I’m sure it is,” Emma said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. “Yeah. Everything’s fine.”

* * *

_Make sure our timing is perfect. Lock down those Scatter Chasses near the end when she’s getting tired. Tell her you love her. Keep her steady in the Hover Cort_ _é. _

Alyssa froze in the middle of picking up her bag at the end of professional group rehearsal. She let out a shaky breath, trying in vain to force herself to focus on the dance she was about to do with Emma for the next six hours. It was just a fun Quickstep; nothing romantic about it. They would be dressed near enough as zombies, even, so it would be the least sexy routine possible. And yet her mind continued to wander like this every time she tried to think of her lesson agenda.

She really hated her brain sometimes.

“Can I talk to you for a moment?”

Alyssa almost jumped out of her skin. “Jesus, Kaylee.”

“Sorry, I just…” Kaylee took a nervous breath and rubbed her hands on her shorts. “I just really need to talk to someone and normally I’d go to Shelby but, well—”

“What’s wrong?” Alyssa asked lowly. To her knowledge, Kaylee and Shelby hadn’t said more than ten words to each other since their argument three days ago. “You can tell me anything, yeah?”

“Right,” Kaylee said. She glanced around them at the rapidly dispersing crowd before taking a step closer and lowering her voice. “So you know last week when we were picking movie week songs and you asked me what was going on between me and Nick?”

“Yeah, you said that you were a thing.”

Kaylee winced. “Yeah, so… I didn’t exactly tell you everything.”

“You’re not pregnant, are you?” Alyssa whispered, a little panicked.

“No!” Kaylee’s eyes widened. “God, no, nothing like that. We actually haven’t had sex, that’s what I’m trying to… ugh, this is actually really hard to explain and I just can’t think straight right now and—”

“Kayls,” Alyssa interrupted gently, taking hold of Kaylee’s shoulders. “What do you mean? What are you trying to explain?”

In the moment before Kaylee spoke, Alyssa saw Shelby approach out of the corner of her eye. She opened her mouth to warn Kaylee, in case she didn’t want anyone else to overhear, but it was too late.

“We’re not together!” Kaylee blurted out, probably a little louder than she meant to. “It was just a stupid publicity stunt to get more votes. But, Alyssa, I swear it wasn’t—”

“What?”

Alyssa closed her eyes briefly, not wanting to see the look on Kaylee’s face when she heard Shelby’s voice coming from behind her. She didn’t want to see the look on Shelby’s face either. She herself was shocked, of course; this was the last thing she had expected Kaylee to admit, but right now all she could think about was the mess that was about to happen.

Kaylee’s body turned, and Alyssa’s hands dropped down to her sides. She opened her eyes to see that Shelby’s expression had morphed into one of sad anger. From what she could see of Kaylee’s face, she looked to be frozen in shock. Alyssa cursed Shelby’s awful timing.

“Shelby…” Kaylee managed.

A crack appeared in Shelby’s expression, but it was gone immediately. “Don’t,” she said. “Just don’t. I can’t believe I was actually coming to apologize for what I said, because clearly I was actually right. Faking a relationship with your dance partner to try and _win_, Kaylee? Really? That’s low.”

“It’s not like that!”

“It’s exactly like that!” Shelby’s voice rose. Luckily, everyone except the three of them had already filtered out of the room by now. “And guess what? It didn’t work! Apparently, even the gross couple-y shit you guys were doing at every opportunity wasn’t enough to keep Nick in the competition.”

Alyssa reached out a hand. “Shelby.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Shelby’s voice broke, and Alyssa saw tears spring to her eyes. “We’re supposed to be best friends, and you didn’t even tell me that you weren’t with him.”

“I couldn’t,” Kaylee said, her voice wobbling.

“Why the hell not?” Shelby cried. “You told Alyssa!”

Kaylee’s mouth fell open. “I only told her now! You weren’t even meant to…”

She trailed off, and Shelby’s jaw tightened. “I wasn’t even meant to hear,” she finished. “Good to know.”

“Wait, Shelby,” Kaylee took a step towards her, but Shelby jerked her body backwards.

“Stop it,” she growled. “Have fun with your fake boyfriend. That is, unless, the whole thing’s over now that he’s been eliminated. I hope it was worth your integrity.”

And with that, Shelby turned on her heel and stormed away. Alyssa watched her go, conflicting emotions bubbling up inside her. Frustration, shock, and _anger _– directed at both Kaylee and Shelby. Kaylee for lying, and doing what Alyssa had been so adamant against from the start by using her relationship with her dance partner to gain publicity, and Shelby for interrupting whatever Kaylee had been going to say next, and not talking the issue through like an adult. She knew why Shelby was hurt; her feelings for Kaylee were clouding her mind, but it hadn’t helped the situation to blow up at Kaylee like that. She sighed tiredly.

“Kaylee… what the hell?”

“Everyone’s gonna know,” Kaylee said miserably.

Alyssa blinked in surprise. “Shelby’s not going to tell anyone.”

“No, I mean the press know already,” Kaylee said. She looked resigned. “Nick texted me in rehearsal just now to give me a heads up that one of his buddies sold the story. We weren’t supposed to tell anyone, and this is exactly why.”

“I’m sorry, Kaylee,” Alyssa said, knowing that she would be late if she stayed much longer. “I really am. I just don’t get why you did it. You know how I feel about this exact thing; how all of us feel about it. If _I’d _been the one to do it, it would be even worse, because people would think that I was faking being gay as well as faking a relationship. It’s a small comfort, I guess, but at least you don’t have _that _on top of it all.”

Shouldering her bag more firmly, and with her head spinning, Alyssa walked away.

* * *

**single corn chip **@drizzlybear: WHAT THE FUCK?? NICK AND KAYLEE WERE JUST A SHOWMANCE?? #DWTS

**vote emlyssa **@letsgolesbians: emlyssa would never

**jojo is tired **@dwtstans: @KayleeKlein @realnickboomer say it ain’t so

**freddie **@sapphicsamba: guys it’s a gossip article maybe we only know half of the story. all im saying is that this seems really out of left field esp for kaylee

* * *

It was like the world had turned upside down to Emma, because all through their Saturday rehearsal it was Alyssa who had been making little mistakes. Alyssa, who hardly ever messed up even in practise. Emma didn’t know why, but it looked like her dance partner’s head was miles away, and Emma had no idea where.

Even during their first camera blocking run the next day, Alyssa stepped forwards when she was meant to be stepping backwards, resulting in her head clashing somewhat painfully with Emma’s own. Seeing stars for a moment, Emma’s feet stopped working while she dropped her hands from Alyssa and stepped back to rub her forehead.

“God, Emma, I’m so sorry,” Alyssa said, looking stricken. “Are you okay?”

The music forgotten, she stepped into Emma’s personal space. Emma felt like she could barely breathe when Alyssa’s fingers brushed some of her hair back to get a better look. Her other hand cupped Emma’s cheek, and Emma suddenly flashed back to Alyssa pressing a kiss to her lips on this very dance floor while her hand was on her face just like this. She gulped.

“I’m fine,” she managed. “I’ve got a thick skull.”

Alyssa smiled softly, but something in her eyes was still a little faraway. “I promise I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You could never,” Emma said quietly, catching one of Alyssa’s hands with her own for a second or two and squeezing.

“Are you guys ready for take two?”

Emma jumped a little, having completely forgotten that they weren’t alone and in their own rehearsal studio. She looked up at the expectant crew member, who folded his arms.

“We still have another four to get through after you.”

“Sorry,” Emma said, a flicker of annoyance going through her.

Alyssa took a step back, her hand leaving Emma’s cheek. “We’re ready.”

The next two run-throughs passed without incident, and although it wasn’t the best either of them had danced this week, at least there were no more injuries. After they were done, Alyssa excused herself to get some food from craft services, giving her one last little smile before she wandered off. Alyssa usually walked with so much purpose, but not today. It worried Emma, because she had no idea what was wrong, or what she could do about it.

She spotted Shelby, then, sitting in a chair on the upper level. She and Marcus had danced just before them, but Emma didn’t know where Marcus had gone. Instead, it was just Shelby alone, and even from a distance Emma could tell that she looked troubled. Before she knew what she was doing, her feet were carrying her up the stairs towards her.

“Hey,” she greeted, not entirely shocked when Shelby jolted in surprise. She also wasn’t shocked when her expression morphed into one of confusion. She didn’t think that she and Shelby had ever had a one on one conversation before.

“Hi,” Shelby said slowly. Bags were visible under her eyes as Emma got closer. “Is your head okay?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, it’s alright,” Emma said, having momentarily forgotten about the accidental headbutt. “Not much going on up there anyway.”

Shelby snorted. “I could’ve told you that much.”

“You’re horrible, do you know that?”

Emma’s tone was teasing, but Shelby’s gaze still dropped to the floor. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine,” Emma said, hurriedly taking a seat beside her. “I was just kidding. I don’t actually think you’re horrible.”

Shelby laughed shortly. “I am, though.”

“Listen, Shelby, I mainly know you as one of Alyssa’s best friends,” Emma said honestly. “And that’s my bad, I should’ve spoken to you more before now, but I don’t think you’re horrible. Brash? Yes. Snarky? One hundred per cent. But horrible?”

“I’ve said and done some stuff I’m not proud of,” Shelby mumbled. “Stuff that I probably shouldn’t have said and done.”

“Would this have anything to do with why Alyssa’s been acting weird for the past day?”

Shelby looked at her in surprise. “She has?”

“She’s just been kind of distracted, I think,” Emma said. “Which isn’t like her.”

“No, it really isn’t,” Shelby frowned. “This is all my fault. If I hadn’t blown up at—at—”

“At who? Alyssa?”

Shelby shook her head. “At Kaylee,” she said, her voice a little softer than before.

And suddenly, it clicked. Something she’d read the previous night. “Oh. The pretend relationship thing.”

“Yeah, that,” Shelby said, her jaw tightening momentarily. “I yelled at Kaylee, and I think it got to Alyssa too because she’s been so vocally against doing things just for votes for a long time.”

“I see,” Emma said, although she still didn’t really understand. “So that’s why Alyssa’s been distracted. But what about you?”

Shelby frowned at her. “What _about _me?”

“Why do you look so sad?”

“I—” Shelby looked taken aback. “It’s a long story.”

“Okay,” Emma said agreeably, after a long silence. She paused, standing up because she could tell that Shelby was starting to close herself off again. “Well, if you ever want to tell me, I’ll listen. No judgement.”

She began to walk away.

“Emma,” Shelby said, a little desperately. Emma turned back around to see Shelby standing up now, shifting on the spot a little uncomfortably. “Thank you.”

She looked so vulnerable; so unlike the Shelby that Emma was used to seeing backstage. “Can I give you a hug before I go?” she asked hesitantly.

Shelby nodded jerkily, and Emma stepped closer and carefully wrapped her arms around her. Shelby’s body was stiff for a moment before she relaxed, and her hands came up to rest on Emma’s back. She let go of a long breath. Emma held onto her for a few more moments before stepping away. She tried to give her a reassuring smile, but Shelby was already staring off into the middle distance once more.

Emma chewed thoughtfully on her bottom lip as she made her way back downstairs to find Alyssa again. Clearly, something had happened, and whatever it was… it wasn’t good. She wanted so badly to talk to Alyssa about it, but she didn’t know if it was an issue she should press. Maybe Alyssa would talk to her about it of her own accord. Or maybe she wouldn’t, and Emma would end up getting headbutted again.

She definitely knew which option she’d prefer.

* * *

Alyssa was halfway through her lunch when Kevin walked over to her with an anxious look in his eyes. His dance partner was nowhere to be seen, but Kevin didn’t seem to be looking for her. His eyes were focused directly on Alyssa, and Alyssa wondered why she seemed to be the one that all her friends came to when they needed to confess something.

“Kevin, are you okay?” she asked nonetheless, because Kevin really did look worried about something or other.

“I’m okay, I think, I just…” Kevin lowered his voice. “I’m worried about Shelby.”

“Yeah, I am too,” Alyssa sighed.

Kevin shook his head a little frantically. “No, like, I’m _really _worried about her.”

“What happened?” Alyssa asked. Kevin’s tone concerned her.

“Shelby turned up at my place last night, looking completely out of it. I don’t think she was drunk or anything, she was just… really lost,” Kevin said, looking down at the floor and clearing his throat. “She kissed me.”

“She _kissed _you?”

Kevin nodded, glancing up to meet Alyssa’s eyes. “She wasn’t in her right mind, but last year I told her that I’d had a crush on her when we first met and I guess she thought maybe I still did or something.”

“Do you?” Alyssa asked before she could stop herself. “Sorry. You don’t have to answer that.”

“No, it’s a fair question,” Kevin said with a shrug. “Not really? I mean, if she asked me out, I wouldn’t say no. But last night, she… she wasn’t thinking clearly. I stopped her, and I sat with her for a while, and I took her home again, but she didn’t say anything the whole time. It was like she wasn’t even there.”

“God,” Alyssa muttered. Clearly, Shelby had felt even more betrayed and had been even more messed up by the whole Nick and Kaylee thing than she’d previously thought. “I can try and talk to her, but I’m not sure she’ll take any of it in.”

“Okay,” Kevin said. “Thanks for listening, Alyssa, I just didn’t know who else to talk to. Shelby won’t respond to my texts, Kaylee is a no for obvious reasons, and Jules just doesn’t get this stuff like you do.”

“Right. Yeah.”

It weighed on Alyssa’s mind during her final rehearsal with Emma that evening. She felt terrible for being so distracted, because she knew it was affecting both her dancing and teaching abilities, but her head was a complete mess. Shelby had feelings for Kaylee, but she’d kissed Kevin – who had used to have a crush on her – presumably to get back at Kaylee for faking a relationship with Nick and not telling her and saving her the heartache of feeling like the woman she liked was with someone else. And Kaylee… Alyssa had no idea what was going on there. She wasn’t as angry as she’d been the previous day, but she couldn’t deny that what Kaylee had done still really irked her.

Still, she was curious as to what Kaylee had been going to say before Shelby had interrupted. Kaylee probably wouldn’t want to tell her anymore, given how she’d reacted to the confession in the first place.

Alyssa was just so tired of being the person in the middle of it all. She had her own shit to deal with, after all – like choreographing the best routines she could, and proving that she was worthy of being one of the professional partners, and everything that came with falling for Emma in the meantime – and while she wanted to be there for her friends, she didn’t think she could take any more of this.

“I thought we were meant to do opposite legs in this footwork section,” Emma said, a slight frown on her face as the two of them became off-balance in their closed hold.

Alyssa stopped, realizing she’d gone wrong yet again. “You’re right. Shit, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Emma said, although she was still frowning. “I just wanted to check that I wasn’t suddenly doing it the wrong way.”

“No, you’re perfect,” Alyssa said. “I’m the one who’s ruining it.”

“You’re hardly—”

“I am,” Alyssa insisted. To her horror, tears suddenly sprung to her eyes. “I’m totally messing this up for you.”

Emma’s eyes were wide and concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Alyssa,” Emma said, her voice gentle. Alyssa closed her eyes when she felt the back of Emma’s hand brush against her cheekbone. “Talk to me. _Please_.”

It was the way that Emma was almost begging her that made Alyssa break. A sob escaped her throat and she surged forwards, wrapping her arms around Emma’s neck and nearly crushing her in a hug. In an instant, Emma’s arms were around her waist, her hands rubbing Alyssa’s back soothingly.

“It’s okay,” Emma whispered. “I got you. Whatever’s going on, I got you.”

Screwing her eyes shut even tighter as she tried to get control over her voice, Alyssa couldn’t help the way she was clinging onto Emma like a lifeline. “My f-friends,” she choked out. “Everything’s messed up with my friends and I don’t know what to do. Shelby isn’t talking to anybody, and Kaylee’s hurt, and now Kevin might get hurt, and they’re all coming to _me _about it when I’m hardly qualified to give them advice because I can’t even get _my _shit together and I’m not sure how I’m supposed to help them.”

One of Emma’s hands came up to stroke her hair. Alyssa sighed, suddenly slumping against Emma’s body. She hadn’t realized how tired she was. “I get it if you can’t tell me specifics,” Emma said softly. “But I think you really need to let this all out. Do you want to come over to mine? We can have some food and watch a movie and I’ll listen to whatever you want to share.”

Alyssa almost started crying all over again, because it wasn’t fair that Emma was this perfect. Her heart ached. “What about the rest of the rehearsal?”

“I don’t want to push us, as a pair, past what we’re capable of right now,” Emma said. “If we need to find a quiet area of the TV studio tomorrow before the show to make up the time, then that’s what we’ll do.”

“When did you turn into the professional?” Alyssa joked weakly, inhaling deeply and breathing Emma in. She felt herself relax some more.

“Learned from the best,” Emma said, gently disentangling herself from Alyssa. She wiped the tears from Alyssa’s face, and Alyssa did her best not to melt into the touch. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

Alyssa sniffed, meeting Emma’s eyes and all of a sudden feeling like she could see her future reflected in their depths. “Okay.”

* * *

“I made a stir-fry,” Emma said, without turning around. She could tell Alyssa was standing in the kitchen doorway without having to look. “I thought it would be a decent comfort meal.”

“It’s perfect,” Alyssa said quietly. She paused. “_You’re _perfect.”

Emma could feel herself blushing, and she was very glad that she had her back to Alyssa right now. She couldn’t bring herself to answer, instead switching the heat off on the stove top and focusing on dishing up the food. She grabbed some cutlery from the drawer and picked up both plates while Alyssa filled two tall glasses with water. It felt kind of domestic, and it made Emma’s heart skip a beat.

Dinner was a fairly quiet affair, but Emma was okay with that. Alyssa clearly needed some time to relax and decompress, and Emma was only too happy to give her that opportunity. In all honesty, she was just glad that Alyssa had let go of some of what she had been holding inside. Even though it seemed like she’d been holding onto it for longer than Emma had realized.

Once they’d finished, Emma loaded their empty plates into the dishwasher. “Pick any movie you want,” she told Alyssa. “I’m just gonna go take my contacts out.”

She went to the bathroom, grabbing her glasses as she went, and took out her contacts as quickly as possible. It wasn’t that she didn’t like wearing them, it was just that she’d gotten so used to wearing her glasses all the time that spending the majority of her day without them had taken some getting used to. Her glasses felt like a security blanket, giving her something to fiddle with when she felt awkward. Although, she couldn’t deny that she’d been feeling more confident since she’d started dancing.

Alyssa had loaded a DVD into the blu-ray player and was curled up on the couch by the time Emma walked into the living room. Emma smiled to herself at Alyssa’s movie choice.

“_Tangled_. You really are a Disney fan, huh?”

Alyssa looked up at her, shrugging one of her shoulders. “I guess it’s my comfort movie. I’m not saying teenage me saw elements of my mother in Mother Gothel, but…”

“But you wouldn’t have said no if a dashing stranger had showed up at your tower and taken you to see the pretty lantern lights in the sky,” Emma finished with a wry smile, taking a seat next to Alyssa on the couch.

“Only if said dashing stranger was a girl,” Alyssa said. “That’s my one complaint about this movie.”

“That it’s not gay?”

“Yeah,” Alyssa said, finally cracking a smile for the first time in what seemed like years to Emma. “Hey, maybe we should’ve been Flynn and Rapunzel for Disney week. If that had been our Foxtrot week we could’ve done _I See the Light _or something like that.”

“I don’t think I’m cool enough to be Flynn, but it’s a nice thought,” Emma said.

Alyssa bit her lip like she wanted to say something, but she let the subject drop and hit play on the movie. There was a little bit of space between them on the couch, but not much, and to Emma it seemed like even that space decreased as the movie went on. She could feel the warmth of Alyssa’s skin where their arms were pressed together, and it was making her head spin embarrassingly fast. Emma wondered if this was what love was like; feeling like you were on fire from even the most innocent of touches. Feeling like you would do anything in your power to make the person touching you feel just a little bit better than they had been before.

“Thank you for today,” Alyssa murmured as the credits rolled. She seemed happier than before the movie, at least; more at ease. Emma remembered when Alyssa had said that she felt calmer in Emma’s apartment, and her heart swelled a little.

“Anytime,” she said sincerely. “And, just so you know, you’re always welcome here.”

Alyssa’s dark brown eyes softened even more. “I don’t know how I got lucky enough to have you in my life, Emma Nolan.”

“I—” Emma’s breath caught in her throat. “I’m the lucky one, believe me.”

“I’m serious,” Alyssa said, her eyes never leaving Emma’s. “I’ve been a terrible dance partner these past couple days and you’ve been an angel.”

“You’ve clearly had a lot going on,” Emma pointed out. She took a deep breath. “And, like I said earlier, I’m here for anything you’re comfortable sharing.”

Alyssa chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, and Emma tried not to let her gaze drop. After what seemed like an eternity, Alyssa let out a slow breath and nodded almost to herself.

“I can’t tell you everything,” she warned. “Just because I don’t know what everyone’s okay with being shared. But Shelby is the most miserable I’ve ever seen her.”

Emma knew that already. “Does it have something to do with Kaylee and Nick?”

“Yeah,” Alyssa said, and Emma didn’t push it any further, because if it was what she thought it was… she doubted Shelby would want too many people to know that she had a crush on one of her best friends. “Kaylee is obviously dealing with the fallout from the showmance stuff, which honestly I’m still getting my head around.”

“Right, yeah, that confused me too,” Emma said, propping her arm up on the back of the couch and resting her chin on top of her hand. “Carrie said earlier this week that she didn’t think Kaylee was all that into Nick, but I had no idea that their entire relationship was for show. It seems a little weird.”

“It’s irritating,” Alyssa sighed. “Because ever since the start of the competition I’ve been so wary of making anything we do seem like it’s just for shock value or votes.”

“I know,” Emma said softly. “it doesn’t help that shock value is the only reason we got paired together.”

“Exactly. So for Kaylee to just disregard all of that and pretend to date Nick just to get votes…”

“Something doesn’t add up,” Emma said thoughtfully, casting her mind back once more to her conversation with Carrie. “I don’t know Kaylee all that well, but it seems a bit unlike her.”

Alyssa looked guarded, like she didn’t want to get her hopes up that this wasn’t Kaylee’s fault after all. “It is weird,” she agreed. “But Kaylee’s been making comments to me about a little extra publicity not hurting, which rubbed me the wrong way, so maybe she was saying it to make peace with what she herself was doing. I don’t know, it’s all really confusing.”

“And what about Kevin?”

“Kevin came up to me today and said he was worried about Shelby for, uh, reasons,” Alyssa said evasively, wincing a little. “Sorry, that’s another thing I can’t tell you.”

Emma put her free hand on Alyssa’s knee to reassure her. “Alyssa, it’s okay. If it’s private, then it’s private.”

“Thank you,” Alyssa said gratefully. She covered Emma’s hand with her own, turning on the couch to face her more. “And thank you for listening. I love my friends, I really do, but I don’t know if I can be everyone’s agony aunt. It’s too much.”

“It seems to me,” Emma said slowly, “as if you’re always the one taking care of other people.”

“I guess I am.”

“Maybe…” Emma swallowed nervously. “Maybe you could let yourself be taken care of sometimes?”

Alyssa’s eyes finally left Emma’s as she dropped her gaze. Emma’s heart thudded loudly in her chest. Was Alyssa looking at her mouth? The silence stretched on between them, with Emma growing more and more worried that she’d overstepped the longer Alyssa stayed quiet. Finally, though, she spoke; her voice barely more than a whisper.

“Can I stay here tonight?”

The question caught Emma off-guard, but she tried not to let it show on her face. “Yeah, of course you can.”

“Thank you,” Alyssa said, her thumb stroking the back of Emma’s hand absentmindedly. She looked so vulnerable, regarding Emma like she hadn't been sure that she'd say yes. “I haven’t really been sleeping that well and I thought maybe if you—if you held me then I might…”

“Yeah, um, I can… I can do that,” Emma breathed. “Whatever you need.”

Alyssa blinked back fresh tears. “You’re my favorite.”

Emma remembered, suddenly, saying near enough the same thing to Alyssa almost a month ago. She swallowed the lump in her throat, squeezing Alyssa’s knee and reluctantly standing from the couch.

“Let’s go to bed.”

She had a brief moment of panic, because the sentence sounded like it could mean something else entirely and she really couldn’t let herself think about that right now; not when a very emotional Alyssa was about to spend the night in her arms. It wasn’t fair on her for Emma to let her own feelings cloud her mind and get in the way of what Alyssa needed her to be right now – a friend.

Thankfully, Alyssa didn’t comment on her choice of phrasing. She simply raised an eyebrow. “It’s still early.”

“I’m tired,” Emma said, fake-yawning and making Alyssa smile. “See? Besides, it’s an early start tomorrow and I need my beauty sleep.”

“Please, you’re already crazy beautiful,” Alyssa said, standing up and putting herself back in Emma’s personal space. A hand came up to touch the rim of her glasses. “With or without these.”

Emma was struggling to draw breath. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Alyssa nodded. “Although I must say I’m partial to your glasses. They seem more… you.”

“They feel more like me,” Emma said, clearing her throat, because the combination of Alyssa’s proximity and her words really wasn’t helping how hopelessly in love with her she was. “Uh, do you need to borrow clothes for tonight and tomorrow?”

“I’m good for tomorrow,” Alyssa said. “I always carry a spare change of clothes in my dance bag in case I need to go anywhere and not smell like six hours of sweat, but if I could borrow some for tonight…”

“Yeah, of course you can,” Emma said, setting her mind to the practical task and leading Alyssa through to her bedroom. She opened her drawers and pulled out an oversized t shirt and a pair of boxer shorts. “I don’t have any clean sweatpants left, so this will have to do.”

“It’s perfect,” Alyssa reassured her. She took the clothes from Emma and made her way to the bathroom, having been to the apartment enough times to know where it was.

Emma quickly changed into her own pyjamas, waiting for Alyssa to come back before she could go brush her teeth. She hoped Alyssa had found the spare so that she could brush her own. She set an alarm on her phone for the next morning and plugged it in to charge overnight, feeling strangely nervous even though it couldn’t have been clearer that nothing was going to happen between them, least of all tonight.

Alyssa came back, dressed in the borrowed pyjamas, and Emma tried very hard not to think about the way seeing Alyssa in her clothes made her feel. Her legs in the boxer shorts caused Emma’s mouth to go dry, which was ridiculous, because she’d seen Alyssa dressed for the show in far more revealing clothes. Emma left to go to the bathroom; she couldn’t let herself stand there staring at Alyssa all night.

When Emma came back, she placed her glasses on the bedside table and gave Alyssa what she hoped wasn’t a nervous smile. “Ready to say goodnight?”

“Yeah,” Alyssa said, tucking some hair behind her ear and walking over to the bed.

They both slipped under the covers and, after a moment’s hesitation, Emma wriggled closer and opened her arms. Alyssa immediately burrowed herself as close to Emma’s body as she could get, and Emma just hoped that she couldn’t feel or hear how fast her heart was racing because of it.

Alyssa sighed contentedly, her nose brushing the skin of Emma’s neck. Emma closed her eyes tightly and tried not to pay attention to the way Alyssa’s hands were clutching at the fabric of her t shirt like she never wanted to let go. She decided that she would be more than okay with it if Alyssa never let go.

_You could tell her you love her. It would be so easy to let it slip. You could tell her right now._

Emma bit the inside of her mouth to stop herself from giving into the temptation. It wasn’t the right time, even if she thought she actually stood a chance with Alyssa. Instead, she just rubbed circles between Alyssa’s shoulder blades with her thumb, drawing another happy sigh from the woman in her arms.

It wasn’t long before Alyssa’s breathing evened out. And with Alyssa curled up against her, fast asleep, it didn’t take more than ten minutes for Emma to feel herself drifting off too.

* * *

The first thing Alyssa became aware of the next morning was the beeping of an alarm that wasn’t hers.

The second thing she became aware of was Emma’s warm body wrapped around her own.

Alyssa opened her eyes, feeling Emma take a deep breath as she woke up. She stretched her legs under the covers, and that was when Alyssa realized that somehow their legs had ended up intertwined during the night. Her face flushed, and she turned her head to hide it in Emma’s neck.

Emma’s hand shifted on her back, smoothing lazily up and down and sending shivers down the length of Alyssa’s spine. She held onto Emma’s shirt tighter, breathing in deeply and wishing that they could just stay like this forever. Because last night had only confirmed that she was irrevocably in love with Emma, and the thought was both terrifying and exhilarating. She frowned when one of Emma’s hands left her to silence the alarm, although it resumed its place right after.

“Morning, Lys,” Emma said quietly. Alyssa loved how rough her voice sounded this soon after waking up. She especially loved how her name sounded coming from Emma’s lips like that.

“Morning,” she mumbled into Emma’s neck, her lips brushing the skin there.

Emma’s hand froze for a second before it carried on trailing up and down her back. “How, um, how did you sleep?”

“Really well,” Alyssa said immediately. “I think the last time I slept right through the night was the last time I slept over here, actually.”

“Well, I’m glad I could help,” Emma whispered. “Are you feeling any better than yesterday?”

Alyssa nodded, finally pulling her head back to look at Emma. “Yeah. I am.”

Her breath caught in her throat as Emma brushed some hair out of her eyes for her. It wasn’t the first time she’d done it, but the gesture felt even more intimate like this. Alyssa was overwhelmed with the urge to close the gap and kiss her, but she restrained herself. She couldn’t stop her eyes from dropping to Emma’s lips, though, as had been the case so often recently. She wondered if Emma ever noticed.

It was uncharacteristically hard for Alyssa to drag herself out of bed, but eventually her growling stomach got to be too much. Emma instructed her to sit at the dining table and wait, but Alyssa decided that watching Emma cook breakfast would be much more fun. As it turned out, for all Emma was a good cook, her breakfast-making skills weren’t quite to the same standard.

“I forgot the fucking milk,” Emma grumbled when Alyssa entered the kitchen, looking at the mangled mess in the pan. “This is just an omelette. And not even a good one.”

“What was it meant to be?” Alyssa asked, standing behind Emma and peering over her shoulder.

“Scrambled eggs.”

Alyssa laughed, going to the fridge to bring out the milk and setting it in front of Emma on the counter. “Here.”

“Thanks,” Emma grinned at her sheepishly over her shoulder. “Take two?”

As Emma busied herself with her redemption eggs, Alyssa decided to put some toast on to have with them. Once she’d done that, she went back to Emma’s room to grab her phone and then went through to the kitchen once more. Emma looked adorable when she concentrated on not letting the scrambled eggs stick to the pan, and Alyssa was struck with the need to document this.

She opened her insta story and sneakily filmed Emma as she cursed under her breath after almost letting the eggs burn. The toaster popped, and Alyssa stopped recording to take the toast out and butter it. Emma scraped half of the scrambled eggs onto each plate, pouring two mugs of coffee as soon as she was done. It all felt very domesticated – even more than dinner last night had – and it made Alyssa’s stomach flip in a way that had very little to do with how hungry she was. In order to give herself something to do, she tagged Emma in the clip and uploaded it, before locking her phone and starting in on the food.

She captioned it ‘Emma vs eggs round 2. The eggs won round 1.’

* * *

**connor **@lgbtango: all im saying is that theyre eating breakfast together in pjs which means they had a sleepover so once again i ask are they dating

**hoe **@timewives: im just,,, so Tired

**ocean **@zazzhands: MFKING BREAKFAST COOLCOOLCOOL

* * *

The morning and afternoon passed in a blur. Emma was in costume from the start of the day, however the special effects makeup wouldn’t be done until later. The rest of the day was spent either doing the dress rehearsal, loading up on carbs, and finding any space she could to rehearse with Alyssa. The events and distractions of the past couple of days seemed to have cost them a little bit, but the dance was still strong, especially now that Alyssa appeared to be back to her usual focused self.

Emma noticed that, even when they were dancing together in the pros dance, Shelby and Kevin seemed to be having a little trouble looking at each other. She wondered if that tied into the whole mess that Alyssa’s friendship group appeared to be in. Kaylee was in the group dance, too, although she seemed to be doing her best to blend into the background. As he had been eliminated, Nick was nowhere to be seen, and Kaylee looked a little lost without him. It was like she didn’t know what she was supposed to be doing anymore. Emma supposed that, when Nick had still been in the running, at least there was a plan. Now, there was nothing.

Emma sat in the makeup chair an hour before they went live, in her tattered suit costume, trying to keep still as the zombie make up was applied. Alyssa was in the chair next to her in a ripped up green gown. They didn’t speak as the makeup was being applied, but Emma could tell she was nervous. The run up to this show hadn’t exactly been ideal, after all. It made Emma nervous, too, because she really didn’t want this journey to be over, but if their dance wasn’t up to standard, it could well be.

As soon as they went live, it was clear that the show had really gone all in for its Halloween theme. Fake cobwebs adorned the staircases, the judges and Trent had all dressed up (Tom Hawkins, however, hadn’t), and the judges’ scoring paddles had been replaced with ones that looked like pumpkins. Not for the first time, Emma wondered just how big this show’s budget was.

Emma was sure she looked ridiculous in her zombie getup, but it could’ve been worse. At least she wasn’t wearing a devil leotard like poor Winnie was. Alyssa still somehow looked gorgeous even as a rotting corpse, which Emma thought was completely unfair. This was the one week where she had a chance at not being distracted by Alyssa’s beauty, and yet she was still doomed.

Maybe it was because she couldn’t get the memories of Alyssa asleep in her arms out of her mind. Maybe it was because all she could think about was that waking up with Alyssa sounded like something she wanted to do every single morning for the rest of her life. Maybe it was because she thought Alyssa was beautiful no matter what she was wearing, or what makeup the show had done for her.

Emma watched the first two couples dance, and despite her nerves, she was actually kind of enjoying the spectacle of the night. The atmosphere in the audience was more of a party than ever – she could see that from all the way up in the Sky Box – and even Dee Dee was getting into the spirit of things in her ‘dead Broadway diva’ costume.

And then it was time for her and Alyssa to take to the floor. Emma had made sure that she had stretched out every single muscle in her body in preparation for this dance, including ones she didn’t even know she had. She was not about to pull a muscle on national television just by doing a Quickstep.

Alyssa had choreographed a fun little story for this dance, which involved Emma pulling her out of a coffin to dance with her. The audience seemed to like it, anyway, and Emma let the music take her over as she and Alyssa began their dance in earnest. The singer was going all out, the band were in full swing, and Emma felt the wind in her hair as she and Alyssa sped across the dance floor. She didn’t know when she’d had this much _fun _during a live show.

She was breathless by the time they reached the end of the routine, both she and Alyssa collapsing into the coffin together. Emma lay on her back, Alyssa half next to her and half on top of her. Both of them were breathing hard, and Emma felt Alyssa’s hand splayed on her collarbone through her artistically ripped dress shirt, which predictably made her breathing pick up even more.

They somehow managed to get back out of the coffin, although it wasn’t elegant by any means, and Alyssa laughed as she wrapped an arm around Emma’s waist while they walked over to the judges’ table. Her eyes were alight beneath the ghoulish makeup, and Emma felt herself fall just a little more in love. She looked so much more carefree than she had all week, and it made Emma’s heart sing.

Barry kicked things off, in his over the top Dracula costume. “Girls, that was so energetic! Pure joy on the floor, and well done for staying so synchronized. It wasn’t quite a foot-perfect performance, but it was pretty damn close.”

Dee Dee picked Emma up on a couple of minor placement issues, but praised their “zest”, and Angie (dressed as the Queen of Hearts) echoed Barry in saying how much fun it had been to watch. Emma tried to stay positive even as she realized that they weren’t going to score as highly as they had done last week, and suddenly she was having to fight off the anxiety at potentially being at the bottom of the leaderboard.

Emma tried her best not to laugh all through Trent’s interview, because the poor man was dressed as the least intimidating Phantom of the Opera she had ever seen, complete with mask and cape. She managed to give a somewhat serious and coherent answer to his question about how tiring the Quickstep was.

“She fell asleep on me,” Alyssa supplied.

Emma snorted. “You’re one to talk after—”

She cut herself off, deciding suddenly that it would be best not to mention how exactly they’d gone to bed the previous night on live television. Trent, to his credit, saved them.

“And the scores are in!”

Red-faced under all the makeup, Emma turned to face the monitor. Alyssa wrapped a reassuring arm around her waist again and squeezed at her hip. Emma hoped that was her way of saying that she wasn’t mad at Emma for what she’d almost said. It shouldn’t mean anything, but it still felt like a hugely private thing, and it wasn’t something Emma wanted to let everyone in on.

Angie had a grin on her face. “Nine!”

“Nine,” Barry said. This just left Dee Dee.

“Nine.”

It wasn’t a bad score – in fact, it was their second highest score so far – but Emma still felt a pang of disappointment that they’d taken a step back from last week. She made a promise to herself right there that, should she get through to the quarterfinals next week, she would make it their first perfect score.

“If you want to make sure that Emma and Alyssa get brought back to life for next week’s show, the voting information you need is on your screens right now. Spooky, right?”

Once Trent had finished and the show had cut to commercial break, Emma felt Alyssa tug on her hand and lead her to the back corner of the Sky Box. She turned to face Emma with concern in her eyes.

“Are you okay?” she asked. “Your energy kind of dropped all of a sudden.”

“I let you down,” Emma said simply. “But I promise that I’ll do better next week.”

Alyssa looked stunned. “Emma, how in the world are _you _the one who let _me _down? I was the one who messed up yesterday and made it so that our rehearsals weren’t all they could’ve been.”

“That wasn’t your fault,” Emma argued. “I just… I want to do the best I can. For you, and for myself. And if we’re still here next week then I’m going to make both of us proud.”

Alyssa just shook her head. “Come here,” she muttered, and then she was pulling Emma into a tight hug, resting her chin on her shoulder and squeezing her fiercely. Emma bit back a smile and returned the hug, delighting in the feeling of Alyssa in her arms again.

Yep. Definitely doomed.

* * *

**kara {stream sword} **@emmasnolans: THIS IS HALLOWEEN HOMOPHOBIA AND I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT. HOW ON EARTH WERE EMMA AND ALYSSA JOINT 3RD ON THE LEADERBOARD

**Betsy Nolan **@pwrtothegran TOMFOOLERY, KARA. TOMFOOLERY [quoted tweet from @emmasnolans: THIS IS HALLOWEEN HOMOPHOBIA AND I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT. HOW ON EARTH WERE EMMA AND ALYSSA JOINT 3RD ON THE LEADERBOARD]

**alice **@boolooboo: trent looks like he’s the u/s of a community theatre’s production of phantom and he just got told he’s going on 5 minutes before places #dwts

* * *

“Alyssa, next week you and Emma have the Argentine Tango. Kevin, next week you and Winnie have the Charleston. Hayden…”

Alyssa tuned out the producer’s voice. Shit. She did not need another notoriously sexy and intense dance just two weeks after the Rumba. She didn’t need it so soon after realizing that she was in love with Emma. She closed her eyes, her mind already wandering to their legs intertwined as they danced, and to Emma holding her so close that their noses brushed; close enough to kiss her if she wanted to.

No.

Absolutely not. She couldn’t let herself think like that. Even if an ever-growing part of her thought that maybe Emma wouldn’t mind if she suggested choreographing another kiss. She wouldn’t let herself do it, though, because it had been hard enough to deal with kissing Emma at the end of a romantic Rumba. If she even entertained the thought of kissing her during a dance as sexually charged as the Argentine Tango…

“One last thing,” the producer said, getting Alyssa’s attention again. “That won’t be the only dance you and your celebrity partner perform. The other one will be announced at the end of the results show tonight. Alright, you’re all free to go.”

Alyssa rushed out of the briefing room as fast as she could, but not fast enough. She felt a hand catch her arm and turned around to see Shelby looking at her earnestly. Despite her brain telling her that she couldn’t deal with more drama right now, Alyssa stopped.

“I’m sorry,” Shelby blurted out.

“What?”

“I can’t imagine how stressed you’ve been this past week with everything going on,” Shelby clarified. “And I know a lot of that is my fault.”

Alyssa sighed, her body softening. “It hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park for you, either.”

“Well, no,” Shelby admitted. “But some of it was avoidable. I didn’t have to blow up at Kaylee like that, especially not in front of you. I didn’t have to screw up my friendship with Kevin by kissing him because I couldn’t stand the thought of Kaylee being the only person in my head. I didn’t have to drag you into my drama.”

“Oh, Shelby,” Alyssa said. “I won’t say this week hasn’t been a struggle for me, but it’s only because literally everyone was coming to me with their problems while I was also trying to work through my own.”

“I know.”

“You know I’m always here for you, right?” Alyssa ducked her head in an effort to get Shelby to meet her eyes. “It’s just sometimes I need to be the one who’s not taking care of everyone.”

“You’re a good friend, Alyssa Greene,” Shelby mused. “And actually, I’m doing a little better.”

Alyssa smiled. “Yeah?”

“I mean, I still haven’t made things right with Kevin, or talked to Kaylee yet,” Shelby said, scratching the side of her neck absently. “Too embarrassed and too upset, respectively. But I, um, talked to Emma yesterday and I didn’t tell her what was going on, not really, but even her being there helped.”

“You spoke to Emma?” Alyssa’s brain ground to a halt.

“Yeah, I think she saw me looking all sorry for myself and decided to check in on me,” Shelby chuckled weakly. “Guess I really did look that pathetic.”

“Shelby…”

“Emma doesn’t even know me as anything more than your friend,” Shelby continued, shaking her head in something like amazement. “And she still tried to help me in any way she could.”

“Yeah,” Alyssa said, unable to hold back a smile from spreading across her face. “She’s incredible like that.”

“I’m telling you, Alyssa, if she wasn’t clearly into you, and if I wasn’t so hopelessly gone for Kaylee…” Shelby smirked at her, almost like her old self would’ve. “You’d have some competition for her.”

Alyssa scowled. “Don’t even joke about that.”

“Wait, are you seriously jealous?” Shelby barked out an incredulous laugh. “Oh my God, you need to get on that even more than I thought.”

“Shut up,” Alyssa muttered, but she was secretly glad to see Shelby as animated and playfully snarky as she had been a few weeks ago.

“All I’m saying is that your girl gives great hugs.”

She swatted Shelby for that one, face flushing with heat. “She kisses even better.”

“Does she now?” Shelby raised an eyebrow. “Makes you wonder what else she’s good at.”

She winked at Alyssa, turning on her heel and walking off with a spring in her step that Alyssa hadn’t seen in what felt like years. Alyssa stood, frozen to the spot, her mind flashing back to the one night she’d given in and imagined Emma…

This week was definitely going to be a challenge.

* * *

This time last week, Emma had been terrified to wrap her arms around Alyssa’s waist from behind. This week, it felt like the most natural thing in the world, and Emma wasn’t sure quite what had happened.

She breathed in the smell of Alyssa’s conditioner, as well as the additional product that had been put on her hair for the show, turning her head to the side a little and closing her eyes as she rested her cheek against the back of Alyssa’s head. Alyssa’s fingers played nervously with the hairs at the nape of her neck; the part of Emma’s hair that had been left relatively untouched by the mousse that had been used to style it. The thumb of her other hand drew patterns into the skin on the back of Emma’s hand.

The fate of the first four couples had already been announced, they’d taken a break for the musical guest, and now Emma was standing there with Alyssa, along with Natalie and Jules, and Marcus and Shelby. Jess and Kyle were in jeopardy for the second week running.

“The next couple through to the quarterfinals are… Emma and Alyssa!”

The crowd roared, and Alyssa immediately turned in Emma’s arms and beamed at her.

“We did it!”

She launched herself at Emma, who caught her around the waist in a hug. She felt giddy with relief, and suddenly found herself lifting Alyssa clean off the floor in her excitement. Alyssa squealed in her ear, wrapping her legs around Emma’s hips to support herself as the spotlight on them went out.

Alyssa pulled back slightly, but she was still close enough for Emma to feel her breath on her face. Alyssa was utterly intoxicating regardless of how close to her Emma was, but she couldn’t deny that having Alyssa’s face _this_ close while her legs were wrapped around her made her want to lose control.

In the relative darkness, Emma thought she saw Alyssa’s gaze drop to her lips. Her own eyes mirrored the movement and, had they not still been in the middle of the dance floor, Emma didn’t know if she would’ve been able to stop herself. Her hands held onto Alyssa tightly, Alyssa’s own linked behind her neck, and Emma’s mouth went dry.

The moment was broken by the announcement of the next couple’s fate, and Alyssa’s legs released her. And not a moment too soon, if the heat that had suddenly spread to Emma’s lower body was any indication. Alyssa taking a step back didn’t do much to clear her mind, but at least she wasn’t dealing with feeling how strong Alyssa’s legs were around her waist now.

In the end, it was Jess and Kyle who were eliminated. Emma felt for them, but she was selfishly relieved that it wasn’t her and Alyssa in their place. She was in the quarterfinals of _Dancing With the Stars_; part of the final six, and it was something she hadn’t thought was possible when she’d taken her first shaky Cha Cha steps in a studio with Alyssa almost two months ago.

“Be sure to tune in next week for our quarterfinal show,” Tom said. “Especially because our celebs will be dancing not once, but _twice_.”

Emma looked at Alyssa in surprise. She had to learn two dances?

Trent’s eyes glinted excitedly. “And it won’t be anything like they’ve done before. Yes, that’s right, we’ll be kicking off the scoring next week with two team dances!”

“Three couples to a team, two teams going head to head,” Tom informed the audience. “Then, each couple will dance again for a combined total of up to sixty points. Trust us, you won’t want to miss it. Until then, America.”

Emma shared a glance with Alyssa. Given the dynamics between some of the pro dancers right now, this had the potential to get interesting.

* * *

**vote emlyssa **@letsgolesbians: QUARTERFINALS HERE WE COME ROUNDING THE CORNER WITH A BUNCH OF LESBIANS

**leigh **@alyssanolan: is anyone else still wondering what emma was gonna say last night before she sniped herself

**not kara **@emmagreene: @alyssanolan *raises hand*

**leigh **@alyssanolan: @emmagreene bet it had something to do with the night before breakfastgate

**alice **@boolooboo: im sad for jess and kyle :( loved those weirdos

**freddie**@sapphicsamba: HELP IDK WHICH COMBINATION OF PAIRS I WANNA SEE MOST

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading! i love you all so damn much and i can't wait to write the rest of this fic (which, incidentally, has now surpassed my previous longest fic! hooray!)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahahaha i wrote 17k in 2 days ahahaha enjoy
> 
> (sexual themes in this one)

Chapter Eight: Quarterfinals Week

* * *

**why does my heart cry? / feelings i can’t fight**

* * *

Alyssa felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders when she walked into the first pro rehearsal of the week and saw Shelby and Kevin talking to each other like nothing had ever gone wrong. Her shoulders relaxed as she walked over to them, and she was even more relieved when she saw Shelby turn and smile at her because it looked like some of the weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, too.

“Hey, guys,” Alyssa greeted them. “Fine day for a Paso Doble, don’t you think?”

She’d been worried that the pro Paso Doble dance would end up being awkward, what with Shelby and Kevin having to dance quite passionately together, so she was just glad that they seemed to have talked.

Kevin grinned. “Three different dance styles in one day is definitely something.”

“Yeah. Paso, Argentine Tango… and Jive, for me,” Alyssa said with a laugh. Kevin high-fived her.

“I still don’t think it’s fair that you two are on a Jive team together,” Shelby said. “We all know it’s Kev’s best dance, and I don’t know how you both get the height in your kicks that you do.”

“It’s called flexibility, Shelby,” Alyssa said smugly.

“Excuse you, I happen to be extremely flexible,” Shelby countered. “I just can’t kick _that _high multiple times in a row. One of these days, one of you is going to kick yourselves in the head.”

“I already have,” Kevin shrugged.

Shelby gestured to him with a flourish. “See?”

“How do you think Emma’s going to do with the Argentine Tango?” Kevin asked, ignoring her with a playful eyeroll.

“Good, I hope,” Alyssa said. “It’s super different to anything she’s learned before, but she’s got great musicality so it should be easy for her to connect to the song.”

“What song did you go with in the end?” Shelby asked.

Alyssa felt her cheeks warm slightly. “Uh, _El Tango de Roxanne_.”

Shelby just raised an eyebrow. “Sexy.”

“It’s a sexy dance style,” Alyssa said defensively. “I was kind of hesitant just because I hate that part of the _Moulin Rouge _movie, but this routine is going to be its own thing.”

“Good for you,” Kevin said decisively. He looked over Alyssa’s shoulder and his expression brightened. “Elliott just got here,” he said. “I gotta go make sure he’s good for our first team rehearsal. Six o’clock works for you, right?”

Alyssa nodded. “Sure. I think your rehearsal studio is the most central, so shall Emma and I meet you there?”

“Sounds awesome,” Kevin said, tapping Alyssa’s forehead twice before bounding away towards Elliott. Alyssa watched him go with a fond smile on her face, turning back to see Shelby watching him with a similar expression before shaking her head to herself.

“Things back to normal, then?” Alyssa asked quietly.

“Yeah, thank God,” Shelby said. “I talked to him after the elimination show yesterday and told him how sorry I was. Told him everything, actually.”

“I’m proud of you,” Alyssa said, her voice gentle.

Shelby snorted, but looked down at the ground. “Sure, Greene. I still haven’t talked to Kaylee, though.”

“How come?”

“It’s too scary,” Shelby admitted in a small voice. “She could break my heart just like that.”

“She wouldn’t mean to,” Alyssa said, reaching out to put a hand on Shelby’s shoulder and feeling more than a little relieved when she didn’t brush her off.

“I know. But she could still do it,” Shelby sighed, sending a quick glance to where Kaylee was sat in the corner of the room, on her phone. “I just don’t know how to explain the things I said without making it obvious that I have feelings for her.”

Alyssa was silent for a moment. “Would it be such a bad thing to tell her how you feel?”

“Yes,” Shelby said immediately. “And don’t even think about giving me shit for that, considering your refusal to tell Emma how _you _feel about _her_.”

“That’s a fair point, I guess,” Alyssa muttered. “Can I… can I tell you something about how I feel about her, though?”

“I suppose.”

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath did little to prepare Alyssa for what she was about to finally say. “I’m in love with her.”

For a while, there was just silence between them. Alyssa couldn’t take it anymore, so she opened her eyes, and saw Shelby regarding her carefully. Her eyes were soft, and yet Alyssa felt as if they were looking straight into her heart.

“That’s the first time you’ve said it out loud, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Alyssa whispered. “Holy shit. I can’t take it back now.”

“Do you want to?” Shelby asked, looking at her with interest.

Alyssa swallowed. “No. No, I don’t.”

“Good,” Shelby said. “Because what you’re feeling is a good thing, okay?”

“Even if I can’t have her?”

“Alyssa, you can have Emma – provided she wants you, too,” Shelby said firmly. “And I’m sure she does. You don’t have to pick between her and the competition.”

“Please stop,” Alyssa mumbled. “I can’t—I can’t let myself think…”

“You are, without a doubt, the most stubborn person I have ever met,” Shelby told her. “And most of the time, I admire that about you. But I can’t help but wonder that the longer this thing between you and Emma goes unspoken, the more likely it is that one or both of you will get hurt.”

“We’ll be fine,” Alyssa said, trying to inject her voice with confidence. “Besides, we were talking about you and Kaylee, originally. What’s the plan?”

Shelby’s forehead creased. “Plan?”

“To fix things between you,” Alyssa said. “To fix things between her and all of us, I guess. I think we need to at least hear her out.”

“Why?”

“Because she’s our friend,” Alyssa said simply. “What she did wasn’t good, I know that, but come on… it’s _Kaylee_. And I think there’s more to it than we know.”

“What makes you think that?” Shelby looked curious.

“Because,” Alyssa said, “before you overheard her and interrupted, it sounded like she was going to say something else.”

Shelby closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. “I really fucked up, didn’t I?”

“You were heartbroken,” Alyssa said gently. “You felt like she’d put you through all that pain unnecessarily while she was off having fun with a fake relationship and the media attention that came with it.”

“I think she’s pretty sick of it now,” Shelby said, glancing over at Kaylee again. “What should we do?”

“Let’s go out for lunch together,” Alyssa suggested. “Us, her, Kevin, Jules…”

“Emma?” Shelby grinned slyly, and Alyssa cleared her throat.

“Sure,” she said, her voice squeaking a little. “The more the merrier. Just don’t, um, try to make Kaylee jealous with her or anything.”

Shelby laughed loudly. “Once again, I was _joking_,” she said. “I wouldn’t even dream of stealing your girl.”

“She’s not my girl,” Alyssa said, scuffing her sneaker on the ground.

Shelby gave her a look, but whatever she was about to retort with was cut off by Art clapping his hands together to get everyone’s attention. As Alyssa changed into her dancing shoes and they began rehearsal, she looked around her at all her friends and sent up a prayer to whoever was listening that everything would just work itself out.

Between them, they’d had enough drama to last a lifetime.

* * *

“Okay, I think you’ve got the basics down,” Alyssa told her. “Shall we move onto the choreo?”

Emma nodded, feeling like her mouth was too dry to permit speech. Argentine Tango, she was learning, was completely different to anything she had danced before in its intensity. Even the Rumba hadn’t been like this, and the Rumba had near enough killed her.

For this dance, she and Alyssa needed to hold each other closer than normal. Her hand needed to be lower on Alyssa’s back. Their faces needed to be mere inches apart. What was more, the embellishments of the leg movements – _ganchos _and _baleos _and the like – almost felt like they had been invented to torture her specifically.

The song, too, added to the intensity once Alyssa began teaching her the routine. There was something about the instrumentation, and the vocals, that filled Emma with a kind of intense drive she’d never experienced before. Holding Alyssa to her, feeling the teasing nature of her steps as she trapped the movement of Emma’s feet with her own; it was almost more than she was able to bear.

Especially because Alyssa was looking right into her eyes as she did it, and all Emma could think about was how much she wanted her. She shivered as she felt Alyssa’s foot rubbing up and down her calf. Who knew _that _was a legitimate dance move?

“What’s, um, what’s that step called?” Emma asked, her voice coming out a little hoarse.

“It’s known as a _caricia_,” Alyssa said.

“I still don’t speak Spanish,” Emma said with a little laugh, trying to distract herself from her racing pulse and the heat spreading through her body. “What does it mean?”

Alyssa looked as if she was blushing a little. “It means ‘caress’.”

“Oh.”

So much for distracting herself, because now that was in her head. Emma tried her best to carry on with learning the choreography, but her mind was suddenly taken up by the cold shower she’d need after rehearsal. After team Jive rehearsal, that was. The day was far from over, after all.

Alyssa had choreographed a few lifts in this dance too, which at least gave Emma something more productive to focus on. But, at the same time, it was torture – because all it meant was that she was having to hold onto Alyssa even tighter; one hand on her lower back and the other under her thigh as she spun them around – and Emma started to legitimately wonder if she would be able to make it through this week without dying.

And maybe she was just being dramatic, but the fact of the matter was that the woman she was in love with was periodically hooking her legs around and in between Emma’s, and her chest was resting against Emma’s, and her eyes were gazing directly into Emma’s own with such passion that – if she wasn’t acting – would make Emma think that she was two seconds away from ripping her clothes off and having her right there in the studio. So, really, Emma felt that it was perfectly within reason to be as worried for her sanity as she was.

At least Jive rehearsal with the rest of their team helped to ease the tension.

Kevin, Elliott, and Alyssa were all incredible at this style, kicking and flicking their feet and generally bouncing around the dance floor with a kind of insane unmatchable energy. After last week’s Quickstep, Emma felt more confident with the speed and stamina this dance required, so at least she wasn’t as worried about letting the team down as she thought she would’ve been, but it was still daunting to watch. Carrie and Winnie, of course, were naturals, and Emma found herself – at the end of the first rehearsal – actually really enjoying herself.

It was a little strange to suddenly be in a team with some of her fiercest competitors, but the six of them all got along very well. Kevin cracked jokes, and Carrie lifted their spirits when they began to tire, and there was something so freeing to Emma about her and Alyssa being two women dancing alongside two male/female pairs, and it being no different.

The producers could try and cause all the drama they wanted, but Emma was starting to realize just how much the professional dancers had each other’s backs. Kevin and Elliott included Emma in their “guy gang” parts of the jive without hesitation or complaint, even teaching her to do an assisted backflip, and Emma wondered if they might actually have a shot at being the winning team.

She didn’t know how the other team – made up of Marcus and Shelby, Noah and Hayden, and Natalie and Jules – were getting on with their Contemporary team dance. But having fun with Alyssa after the tension of their Argentine Tango rehearsal, and being joined by two other pairs, was a much-needed respite.

At any rate, Emma was thankful that the rehearsals were this way around. She still had a feeling she’d be needing that cold shower, though.

* * *

“Okay, Em, I want you to give it everything you have in that instrumental break,” Alyssa said, wiping her brow while Elliott went to restart the song. “I know you can build up more speed for the knee slide.”

“I’m not competing against Kevin and Elliott to see who can slide the furthest,” Emma said with a breathless laugh.

“Pretend you are,” Alyssa whispered, sending a wink her way. Emma blushed immediately, and Alyssa’s stomach flipped at the idea of being the one to cause it.

_Rock Around the Clock _came on over the speakers once more, and Alyssa resumed her starting position with Carrie and Winnie. The idea that she, Kevin and Elliott had come up with for this routine wasn’t a million miles away from what her Jazz routine with Emma had been, except this time they’d be characters at a dance in the fifties, and Alyssa was waiting to be asked to dance, along with the other two. Emma was trying to impress her, enlisting the help of Kevin and Elliott as her wingmen, and then the six of them would all pair up and dance the night away.

That had been the pitch, anyway.

“Kick, kick, step-two-three, flick-ball-change, flick-ball-change,” Alyssa panted, trying to help keep Emma in time during the kicks and flicks section during their solo moment in one of the choruses. They were side by side facing the mirror and, even though this was the end of day two of rehearsals, she still felt like Emma needed the vocal reassurance. “Kick-waist, kick-head… good!”

Emma’s final kick came up almost as high as Alyssa’s had. They carried on with the routine, and she was sure that her own grin was matching Emma’s as the six of them danced together in near-perfect synchronicity.

During one of their breaks, Alyssa saw Emma go off to talk to Kevin. They looked to be discussing one of the steps that they and Elliott would be doing, and it seemed as if Emma was asking for some advice on technique because Kevin started demonstrating a complicated step. Emma copied it, and Kevin corrected some details of her footwork for her. Alyssa leaned against the wall, watching them with a smile on her face.

“Is it just me, or are they both human puppies?”

Alyssa jumped a little, turning her head to see Carrie standing next to her. “They kind of are, I guess.”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt your gazing at Emma,” Carrie said lightly.

“I—I wasn’t—”

“You were,” Carrie said smugly. “It’s okay. She gazes at you like that, too.”

“Yeah, right.”

Carrie just stared at her. “Don’t tell me you’re really that obtuse.”

“I’m not,” Alyssa said immediately. “Or, at least I don’t think I am.”

“That’s not exactly promising.”

“Look,” Alyssa sighed. “I know what you’re getting at, because it’s what everyone’s getting at. We shouldn’t—I shouldn’t—”

“We haven’t spoken that much,” Carrie noted, “so forgive me if I’m crossing a line here. But it seems like you’re the one standing in your own way here.”

Alyssa frowned. “You don’t think I want to be with her? Carrie, I want that more than anything. I’m not even going to question how you know, because at this point I’m starting to feel like every single person on the planet except for Emma knows, but there’s more to it than just standing in my own way. It takes a lot to unlearn twenty years of bullshit that says I can’t have any distractions from my career.”

“Okay,” Carrie said simply.

“It won’t happen overnight, and Emma deserves someone who’s sure.”

“Sounds like _you’re _sure,” Carrie said. Her voice was light. “You just said that what you were taught was bullshit. You just said that you wanted to be with Emma more than anything.”

Alyssa opened her mouth, and then closed it again. Her brain ground to a halt.

“Just something to think about,” Carrie smiled genuinely at her before walking off to find Elliott. Alyssa growled in frustration.

Looking over at Emma again, Alyssa couldn’t help the way that her heart started to ache painfully in her chest. God, she really did want to believe that she could have both her career and Emma, but she just didn’t know if it was anything other than a disaster waiting to happen. If she made a wrong move, she could lose them both.

But Alyssa was starting to wonder just how long it would be before, one way or the other, something had to give.

* * *

When Alyssa had invited her to lunch on Friday with some of the pro dancers, Emma hadn’t really known what to expect.

Well, now she did. Awkwardness.

The six of them were sat at a round table in some restaurant having a light meal before afternoon and evening rehearsals started, only the food hadn’t arrived yet and nobody was really talking except for Kevin and Jules. Emma was sat between Alyssa and Kaylee, with Shelby on Alyssa’s other side and the boys in their own little world next to each other. Emma wanted to be annoyed at being brought into this situation, but she couldn’t even bring herself to be, because it just seemed as if Alyssa wanted to include her in her friendship group – which made Emma’s heart flutter in her chest even if the actual meetup was stilted. Or, maybe Alyssa had suspected it would be so, and wanted Emma there for moral support.

“Emma, how’s your Tango coming along?” Jules asked suddenly. Emma wondered if someone, maybe Alyssa, had sent him a silent request to include more people than Kevin in the conversation.

“Great,” Emma said cheerily. She neglected to mention that every time Alyssa touched her, it set her whole body on fire. Somehow, it didn’t seem like appropriate conversation. “Darlene’s working on our costumes and I’ve got a fitting tomorrow morning, which I’m excited about.”

“She won’t tell me what she’s going to be wearing,” Alyssa grumbled good-naturedly. “Darlene won’t either.”

“Well, you won’t tell me what _you’re _wearing,” Emma said, raising her eyebrows at Alyssa, who just shrugged.

“You haven’t asked.”

“Okay,” Emma said slowly. “Alyssa, what’s your Argentine Tango costume like?”

Alyssa played with the edge of her napkin. “I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”

“See?” Emma grinned, turning back to an amused Jules. “She won’t tell me.”

“I can see that,” Jules said. “Guess you’re both even, then.”

Emma waved a hand. “I already have an idea what she’ll be wearing.”

“What?” Alyssa seemed to drop the aloof act, and Emma smiled winningly at her.

“You’ll be wearing a gorgeous dress that will probably push the censorship boundaries in the most tasteful way possible,” she guessed. “And it will be… red, I think.”

Alyssa narrowed her eyes at her, and Emma stared her down, trying to figure out if she was warm or not. But then she just got lost in Alyssa’s eyes, as was so often the case, and it took Jules subtly coughing to pull Emma’s attention away. She felt heat rush to her face.

“Well,” Alyssa said, looking a little flustered herself. “Nice try, Em, but I’m not giving away my secrets that easily.”

“I want to say something,” Kaylee said suddenly. All heads turned in her direction.

“Go ahead,” Alyssa said.

Kaylee took a deep breath. “First of all, I want to say I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pretended to date Nick for votes, and I shouldn’t have kept that from you all. I just… I want to tell you why.”

Emma saw Shelby stiffen in her seat in the very edge of her peripheral vision.

“When we first got paired together,” Kaylee continued, “Nick’s publicist – this insane middle-aged woman – came up to the two of us and said that Nick needed some press. She didn’t specify good or bad, but she said that the best solution would be to pretend to date and get people talking. I didn’t think it through. I thought it would just be harmless, and I thought Nick was cute, and by the time I realized how messy it would get… it was too late.”

“Kaylee…” Alyssa trailed off.

Kaylee sniffed. “I don’t think Nick thought it through, either. But his publicist… is a demanding woman. It’s why she’s so good at her job, and so I felt trapped. And we weren’t supposed to say anything to anyone, in case the truth got out.” Kaylee laughed bitterly. “Kinda like it did.”

Emma hardly dared to breathe, because this seemed like something she shouldn’t really be hearing. She didn’t feel like it was her place to even be sitting next to Kaylee while she let all this off her chest, especially when Kaylee focused her gaze on Alyssa.

“I’m sorry for pushing you to do things for publicity,” Kaylee said. “I should’ve listened when you made it clear you didn’t want to do that. I only did it because I felt so damn alone in what I was doing, but I’m still sorry.”

“Thank you for saying that,” Alyssa murmured. “I had no idea what you were going through, Kayls. I wouldn’t have walked away from you if I had.”

“I deserved it,” Kaylee smiled a little sadly, her eyes sliding over to Shelby. It felt as if the whole world stopped. Emma turned her head, seeing Shelby frozen in place like a deer in the headlights. “Just like I deserved everything you said to me.”

Shelby swallowed roughly. “I could’ve helped. I could’ve done something, or marched on up to that publicist and punched her in her ugly old face.”

“I couldn’t risk anyone knowing,” Kaylee said, her eyes welling up with tears. “I’m sorry that it seemed like I couldn’t trust you.”

“I’m sorry I said those things,” Shelby said. Her voice wobbled, and Emma couldn’t look away from the two of them no matter how hard she tried. “I was angry and jealous and I took it out on you and I—"

Shelby’s eyes widened. Kaylee’s forehead creased and she blinked rapidly.

“Jealous? Why? Do you… do you have a crush on Nick or something? Because I don’t actually have feelings for him…” Kaylee trailed off as Shelby hung her head and, suddenly, it seemed to click. “Oh.”

“Excuse me, everyone, I’m not hungry anymore,” Shelby said hurriedly, standing up and almost tripping over her chair in her haste to get away.

“Shelby, wait,” Alyssa called after her, but she was already gone.

Emma shrank back into her seat as silence descended over the table. Alyssa looked torn between staying and going after Shelby, Kevin and Jules looked stunned, and Kaylee… Kaylee looked like she was thinking back over every single interaction she’d had with Shelby over the past two months – or maybe even longer.

“I should go talk to her,” she muttered absently.

“As much as I want you two to talk everything out,” Alyssa sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Maybe give her some time? This has been tearing her up for a while and I know for a fact she didn’t mean for you to find out like this.”

Kaylee looked pained, but she nodded. Emma found Alyssa’s hand under the table and squeezed it reassuringly. It took a moment, but then Alyssa squeezed back. Their food started to arrive, and Emma couldn’t stop herself from staring at Shelby’s empty chair.

If this was even a small part of what Alyssa had been dealing with lately, then it was no wonder she’d been so distracted. Emma had only experienced half an hour of it, and she was already exhausted. God, she hoped Shelby would be okay.

Alyssa didn’t let go of her hand under the table. It meant Emma had to eat lunch one-handed, but she didn’t mind. She didn’t mind at all.

* * *

**alice **@wooloowoo: uhhh has anyone else seen the paparazzi pics of alyssa and some of the pro dancers (and emma) out for lunch

**freddie **@sapphicsamba: @wooloowoo I HAVE and like why did shelby leave so fast?? theres like a whole sequence of pics

**alice **@wooloowoo: @sapphicsamba idk and quite frankly im worried they had no idea they were being papped because whatever happened looked private

**leigh **@alyssanolan: yo i hate to be the one to say it cause of the other drama going on but if you look closely it kinda looks like emma and alyssa are holding hands under the table

* * *

Alyssa got to Argentine Tango rehearsal a little early on Saturday, mainly because she needed to get away from pro rehearsal. Things weren’t as awkward as last week, which was a huge relief, but there was just a general vibe of sadness that Alyssa didn’t know what to do about. Shelby was back to not talking to Kaylee, but Alyssa noticed that she couldn’t stop staring at her when her back was turned. She also noticed that Kaylee was doing the same thing, but her expression was a lot harder to decipher than Shelby’s wistful one was.

Either way, Alyssa needed a break.

She’d just finished setting up for rehearsal when Emma rushed in, clad in dark pants and a sweater. She threw her dance bag down next to Alyssa’s, sitting down and getting to work on changing her shoes.

“Sorry, I know I’m a little late,” she said. “The costume fitting ran over a little.”

“Are you still wearing it?” Alyssa laughed, nodding at Emma’s pants.

“Hm? Oh, yeah, parts of it anyway,” Emma said, standing back up again and tugging her sweater off.

Alyssa choked on her own breath, because underneath the sweater, Emma was wearing a white tank top and black suspenders. She couldn’t help the way her eyes were glued to Emma’s torso, or the way her heart rate sped up. Alyssa had never really considered suspenders as a clothing item she was particularly into, and so this reaction took her by complete surprise.

“Oh, shit,” Emma said suddenly. “I forgot my costume was meant to be a surprise. Well, there’s meant to be a button up shirt instead of the tank top, but they needed to alter it a bit more and Darlene suggested I get used to dancing in the suspenders anyway because I’ve never worn them before and I guess now that I’ve mentioned the shirt I’ve just spoiled my entire…” she trailed off as she met Alyssa’s eyes, her nose scrunching in adorable confusion. “Alyssa?”

Alyssa jerked her eyes back up to meet Emma’s, heat rushing to her face. And to other places. “Yeah?”

“Are you okay? You seem a little… spaced out.”

“I’m fine,” Alyssa said hoarsely. “Should we, uh, make a start?”

She didn’t know why she thought actually dancing with Emma while she was dressed like this would be any better, but at least she hadn’t had this costume sprung on her the day of the show. At least she had an extra two days to get used to seeing Emma dressed so… she didn’t dare finish that thought.

Once they’d both warmed up, they started on the routine. Emma was getting pretty good at it by now, but she still seemed to be having a little trouble getting into the intensity of the dance. Emma, after all, wasn’t a very intense person, and although she was more serious-looking and driven than she had been in previous days, it wasn’t quite at the level it needed to be at yet. This went on for hours, and Alyssa wasn’t sure what she should do to get Emma to go that bit further.

They executed a _planeo _– a move where Alyssa was crouched a little with one leg straight out to the side while Emma swept her around the floor in a circular motion – which was the best it had been so far this week, and then Emma fumbled. She immediately frowned at herself.

“Keep going,” Alyssa said firmly. “Let’s get to the end.”

They made it to the end of the routine, but Emma still looked as if was going to start berating herself at any moment, so before she could even open her mouth, Alyssa cut her off.

“Emma, you can do this,” she said. “Look at me.”

Since Emma’s eyes were fixed on the ground, Alyssa sighed in frustration and tugged her closer by her suspenders. Emma’s eyes shot up to meet Alyssa’s with a shocked expression on her face, and Alyssa mentally kicked herself for being so bold. Because she was still gripping the material of Emma’s suspenders tightly, and they were so close together, and Alyssa remembered just how soft Emma’s lips were from the last time they’d kissed twelve days ago.

She’d remembered it every day since.

“Listen to me,” she said again, clearing her throat and looking straight into Emma’s wide eyes. “You may not believe in yourself, Emma Nolan, but I do. I know you have this in you. Just feel the music, and dance with me. You have to _lead _the dance, Emma. Otherwise it’s not going to work. Do you understand?”

Emma nodded, her eyes flicking down for a second. “Yeah.”

“Good,” Alyssa whispered, finally releasing her hold on Emma and backing away. “Let’s go again.”

She walked over to restart the music, letting out a shaky breath as she did so. Her face being so close to Emma’s was not helping her self-control at all. She pressed play on her phone, hearing the little intro before _El Tango de Roxanne _would start in earnest, and headed over to her starting position.

“Remember,” she called out to Emma, “I’m taking my lead from you in this dance, so give me something to work with.”

Emma nodded again, looking more determined. Their cue came, and then Alyssa was falling into the routine once more. And right away, it was different. Emma had this look in her eyes, like she had finally discovered the spirit of the dance, and as soon as she spun Alyssa towards her, Alyssa knew she was in trouble.

She wanted to close her eyes, because Emma was looking at her with such heat in her gaze, but she was unable to look away for even a second. It took her breath away, because Emma really was leading her this time, and it was exactly what had been missing from the dance until now. Alyssa was mesmerized.

It felt as if electricity was crackling between them. Alyssa danced through the steps, hooking her leg around Emma’s and releasing again in lightning-fast _ganchos_, and moving in staccato rhythms around the dance floor. Emma picked her up in one of their lifts, her hand strong underneath Alyssa’s thigh and her other arm wrapped tightly around her middle to support her. They spun, ending near the wall, but Alyssa barely noticed, and then she was landing with her right leg bent at the knee and her left straight out behind her.

Hands on Emma’s thighs, Alyssa slowly rose to her full height once more. She dragged her hands up and over Emma’s hips, neither of them daring to break eye contact. Emma’s fingers were curled under her chin as she stood, a touch that Alyssa had added to the choreo the previous day and was now half-regretting. The other half of her mind was screaming at her to do something about it.

Alyssa’s hands trailed up Emma’s sides, grasping her elbows for just a moment before moving up her triceps to her shoulders. Her face was now level with Emma’s, and she could feel harsh puffs of breath against her lips. She looked into Emma’s eyes, wide and darker than she’d ever seen them. Emma’s gaze flicked down to her lips once more, and Alyssa’s resolve finally cracked.

She wasn’t sure who made the first move, but then their lips were meeting in a kiss that Alyssa already knew would change her life. Emma’s hands cupped her cheeks, and Alyssa moved her own to hold onto Emma’s waist. Emma’s lips were just as soft as Alyssa remembered, but this kiss was fundamentally different. It was _hungry_.

The tips of Emma’s fingers pressed into Alyssa’s hair, and Alyssa’s hands wandered to grip Emma’s suspenders once more, pulling them flush together even though there had barely been any space between them anyway. Emma pressed closer still, walking forwards and encouraging Alyssa to step backwards. Alyssa trusted her, taking a few steps back and bumping into the wall.

A whimper escaped her when Emma pressed her into the wall with the length of her body, and this was everything she needed and still nowhere near enough. Her hands were trapped between their bodies, the backs of them brushing against the underside of Emma’s breasts, and it made her knees want to give out. Only Emma pinning her to the wall kept her upright.

Emma’s lips parted under her own as she kissed her, open-mouthed and desperate, and Alyssa took the opportunity to flick her tongue over Emma’s bottom lip. She was rewarded with the sweetest-sounding moan she’d ever heard. Her brain completely shut down at the sound, and she licked boldly into Emma’s mouth, feeling Emma’s hands slide fully up into her hair as she did so.

Alyssa’s hands tightened around the suspenders when Emma bit at her bottom lip, her heart racing so fast that it was a wonder she hadn’t passed out already. Lightning coursed through her body, and heat pooled low in her abdomen. She needed more.

As if able to read her mind, Emma shifted her hips, sliding one leg between Alyssa’s and bringing them impossibly closer together. Alyssa let slip a high-pitched whine when she felt the press of Emma’s leg between her thighs, and this was so much better than some brief moment in a dance, because this was _real_.

Alyssa ground her hips down onto Emma’s thigh, a fog descending in her mind and blocking out any and all rational thought as she focused solely on finally getting to experience the thing she’d been craving for so long now. Her tongue slid against Emma’s, making them both moan and clutch at each other with starving hands.

All of a sudden, Emma’s hands grabbed hers. Alyssa was confused for a split-second, before Emma gently pressed their joined hands to the wall beside Alyssa’s head. At the same time, her mouth left Alyssa’s, and her sound of protest at the loss turned into a low groan as soon as she felt Emma’s lips on her neck. She rocked her hips against Emma’s thigh again, tilting her head back to give Emma better access to her neck and feeling her head hit the wall with a dull thud.

She felt Emma press hot kisses down the column of her neck, nipping a little at the skin as she went, and Alyssa couldn’t quite believe that this was happening. Emma was kissing her. Emma wanted her. She freed her hands from Emma’s grasp, burying them in blonde hair as her breathing turned ragged and she finally opened her eyes.

The studio was the same as it always looked, their bags in the corner and the mirror wall on the opposite side of the room. Alyssa spotted the two of them in the mirror; met her own eyes, and suddenly she remembered why she couldn’t let this happen.

“Wait,” she gasped.

Emma pulled back as if she’d been electrocuted, taking two steps away and standing in front of her, chest heaving and cheeks flushed. Her hair was a mess, and it sent a jolt right through Alyssa’s body. She looked so dishevelled, and it was all her doing.

“I’m sorry,” Emma said immediately. It looked as if the reality of what had just happened was setting in for her, because she brought a shaking hand up to rest over her heart. “Alyssa, I’m so sorry.”

“No, it was my fault,” Alyssa managed. “That was—I shouldn’t have—I’m sorry.”

Emma shook her head jerkily. “Let’s just forget it. We’re dance partners and we’re friends and we can’t—”

“Right,” Alyssa said, even as a part of herself was screaming at her to throw caution to the wind and kiss her again. “That’s sensible, we should… sometimes a dance gets intense, and things happen, or so I’ve heard. Never really knew what they were talking about until I started dancing with you.”

“We have, um, Jive rehearsal,” Emma said awkwardly. “I’m gonna go change into my normal dance clothes, I think.”

“Good idea,” Alyssa said, unable to stop her eyes from dropping to the tank top and suspenders once more. “Emma, I… can we keep this between us?”

“Yeah, of course,” Emma said. She bit her lip, her eyes looking a little watery. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—I’m just sorry.”

And with that, she turned sharply on her heel and marched away, only stopping to grab her dance bag on her way out of the room. Alyssa slumped against the wall, closing her eyes and bringing a hand up to touch her lips. Her body was trembling. She’d just kissed Emma. And she hadn’t wanted to stop. And, what’s more, Emma had kissed her back.

Holy shit.

* * *

Emma felt as if, somehow, pretty much their whole team knew what had just happened between her and Alyssa.

Carrie fixed her with a look as soon as she and Alyssa hurried into the studio, only two minutes late, and Emma determinedly avoided her gaze. She’d done her best to smooth down her hair after Alyssa had messed it up during their kiss, and she’d checked her reflection in the mirror of the little bathroom in their own studio before they’d left to come here, but maybe Carrie was just psychic.

Or maybe she’d noticed the way that Emma was completely incapable of even looking in Alyssa’s direction right now.

“Sorry we’re late,” Alyssa said hurriedly. “Rehearsal ran over a little bit.”

“You’re only a couple minutes late,” Kevin said, with a bemused look on his face. “Are you guys warmed up and ready?”

Emma tried to turn her strangled laugh at Kevin’s phrasing into a passable coughing fit. “Yep.”

“Okay, great,” Kevin said, passing Emma his water bottle and patting her on the back a couple of times for good measure. “Then let’s get started.”

Emma tried to force herself to relax, because it was just a Jive. A simple, fun, light-hearted Jive with no sexual tension whatsoever. And yet, she completely failed, because every time she so much as looked at Alyssa, all she could think about was the look in her eyes before they’d pulled each other in, and the sounds she’d made when they’d been kissing, and the way her voice had wavered as she’d apologized afterwards.

God, what had she been thinking? She _hadn’t _been thinking – that was the problem – her brain had emptied of anything that wasn’t Alyssa as soon as she’d pressed her back into that wall. And, now, she didn’t know what to do. Because Alyssa had been kissing her like her life depended on it, and she’d pressed herself against Emma’s thigh more than a little desperately, but then she’d snapped out of it. Emma wasn’t quite naïve enough to believe that her and Alyssa making out against a wall had been solely to do with the nature of the dance, because there had been too many unspoken moments between them to blame it on that, but she was utterly confused about what this meant for them.

She wanted to talk to her about it, but she didn’t know how. Especially because she herself had told Alyssa that they should just forget about it. She should never have kissed her like that, because now she’d gone and made things more awkward than she’d ever thought possible. She’d crossed the line between what could be passed off as platonic and… what _really _couldn’t.

And the next time she and Alyssa would dance their Tango would be at camera blocking. In front of the crew and whomever else decided to watch. Emma blanched at the thought and, the next thing she knew, she was flat on her back after missing the landing of the assisted backflip. Immediately, Kevin and Elliott were both leaning over her.

“Are you okay?” Kevin asked.

Emma groaned. “I’m fine. Just forgot to engage the landing gear.”

The boys helped her to her feet. Emma dusted herself off, cheeks burning with embarrassment at falling over like that. She chanced a glance at Alyssa, only to see her watching from her starting position with a worried look on her face before ducking her head quickly. Emma cleared her throat, waiting for Elliott to restart the music so that she could try and redeem herself.

The rest of rehearsal passed without any more incidents, but everything just felt off in a way that worried Emma. Because if she and Alyssa couldn’t even look at each other right now, then how on earth were they meant to dance this team Jive, let alone the Argentine Tango? She needed some advice. Preferably not from Carrie, who was looking at Emma like she was just waiting for the opportunity to tell her what a dumbass she was being. No, Carrie would try and make her do something about it, but her grandma hadn’t witnessed anything today, so maybe she would be a safer bet.

Besides, Alyssa had asked her not to tell anyone about the kiss, and Emma had a feeling that Carrie had already guessed what had happened and she really didn’t want to deal with that just yet.

Honestly, given the time difference, she was a little surprised her gran even picked up.

“Emma, honey, how are you?”

“Um, tired,” Emma said truthfully. “Jive has been kicking my ass, and this is also the shortest amount of time I’ve had to learn two routines in, so…”

“Make sure you’re stretching before bed,” Betsy advised. “Sore muscles will feel so much worse once you’ve slept on them. I always find a nice bubble bath solves a lot of general aches and pains.”

Emma rolled her eyes fondly. “That is the most grandma advice I’ve ever heard.”

“Well, it may come as a surprise to you, but I am indeed a grandmother.”

“Shut up,” Emma laughed, feeling a fraction better already. She took a deep breath. “Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot, sweetheart,” Betsy said, and something in her voice told Emma that she knew it was serious.

“Okay, so,” Emma rubbed at her temple with her free hand. “How do you work up to having a conversation that you’re scared to have, with someone who’s way too important to you, without messing everything up?”

Her grandma was silent for a long moment before speaking. “Well, I would say that the truth, in the long run, rarely messes anything up more than avoiding a tough conversation does. It’s hard, Emma, and it takes a lot of courage, but you’ll be so glad once you’ve done it. Guessing is exhausting.”

“Yeah,” Emma said quietly, closing her eyes. And there it was. She knew that, at some point soon, she needed to talk to Alyssa. “It is.”

* * *

“No offense, Alyssa, but that Tango looked like shit,” Shelby said, sidling up to her at craft services during the camera blocking rehearsal.

Alyssa groaned. “I know.”

“Not the technique or anything,” Shelby clarified. “That was amazing. But, like, where was the mood?”

“It… needs work,” Alyssa said, thinking back to their disastrous camera blocking run. Neither of them had messed up any steps, but the dance had been completely and utterly devoid of the intensity and passion that was needed. And it was all because Alyssa was too nervous to even really look at Emma; not after what had happened the last time they’d practiced the routine.

“You and Emma were throwing the Jive off, too,” Shelby added, sighing and turning to face Alyssa. “It’s really not like you to be the weak link in a team.”

“God, Shelby, I know,” Alyssa snapped. “Do you think I don’t know how I look out there?”

“Okay,” Shelby muttered, taking Alyssa’s arm and dragging her off to somewhere a little more private. “What is going on with you today? Actually, not just today, because I got a phone call from Kevin last night asking me if you and Emma had fought or something. He said there was this weird tension between you two at rehearsal last night.”

Alyssa closed her eyes. “Shit.”

“Yeah.”

“I can’t tell you what’s going on,” Alyssa said. “I know, I’m sorry, but I was the one who asked that… it doesn’t matter.”

“Right,” Shelby said, setting her jaw. “I’m going to hazard a guess. You don’t have to tell me if I’m right or if I’m wrong, but I want you to hear me out anyway.”

“Fine.”

“I think something happened between you and Emma yesterday,” Shelby said. “It doesn’t take a genius to see that the two of you can barely look in each other’s general direction without blushing and tripping over your own feet, and not in a cute way. Something happened; something that you’re trying to ignore in the hopes that it’ll just go away.”

“That’s not—”

“I’m not finished,” Shelby interrupted her. “I hate to break this to you, Alyssa, but whatever happened isn’t just going to go away. And, what’s more, you’re screwing your chances in the competition, which I know is the last thing you want to do. You’re screwing your team’s chances, too, and as much as I would love for my team to win, it’s not fair to do it like this.”

Alyssa hung her head. “I know,” she said again.

“Talk to Emma,” Shelby begged. “Please, Alyssa, I know it’s scary. Believe me, I know more than anyone how scary it is, because I still haven’t found the courage to do it yet. But you and Emma are dance partners, and this is affecting your professional relationship as well as your personal one. Talk to her.”

“I want her so bad, Shelby,” Alyssa said, swallowing thickly as tears sprang to her eyes. “I’ve never wanted anything more. But I can’t—I can’t do this with her right now.”

“Then tell her that,” Shelby said, her voice softening. “At least then she’ll know. Not knowing… it sucks.”

“Yeah,” Alyssa whispered. “It does.”

“Promise me you’ll talk to her today,” Shelby said. “This can’t go on any longer.”

Alyssa took a deep breath and swiped at her eyes. “I promise.”

* * *

Emma walked into her final studio rehearsal of the week before the next day’s live show, feeling like her whole body was trembling, because this was it. She was going to talk to Alyssa before rehearsal. She’d arrived a little early to mentally prepare, and now she paced the length of the room as she waited for Alyssa to arrive.

Their camera blocking rehearsal earlier had gone pretty poorly, and Emma couldn’t help the guilt that weighed on her shoulders because of it. Everyone had been right; this was way more distracting than any other scenario. Even if Alyssa didn’t want to be with her – now or ever – Emma knew deep down that they had to have this conversation.

She just didn’t want things to go even more wrong between them.

Emma was so focused on her pacing and her thoughts, that she didn’t hear Alyssa come in. Instead, she froze when she turned around to face the door and saw Alyssa standing there. She looked so beautiful, and Emma’s heart immediately started hurting. She swallowed harshly, her feet carrying her closer automatically. The closer she got, the clearer she could see the worry etched into Alyssa’s face.

“Hey,” she said quietly, as soon as Emma was close enough.

“Hey,” Emma echoed, coming to a halt a few feet in front of her and fiddling with the hem of her t shirt.

“Can we talk?”

The question took Emma by surprise, because it had been the very thing that she’d been working up to asking. “Yeah. Yeah, we should talk.”

“Okay,” Alyssa breathed, setting her bag down on the ground and shifting her feet. “Can I… is it okay if I go first?”

“Sure,” Emma said. Her heart started to jackhammer inside her chest, and she mentally prepared herself for the worst.

“My whole life, I’ve been told that I can’t let anything distract me from what’s important,” Alyssa began, eyes looking somewhere over Emma’s shoulder. “My career. My mom wasn’t happy about me wanting to be a dancer, but she told me that as long as I focused on it with everything I had, then I could make it.”

“I know,” Emma said softly. Alyssa’s eyes met her own now, and it made Emma’s breath catch in her throat.

“It’s bullshit,” she said shortly. “I know it’s bullshit, but there’s still this… I don’t know, this fear inside me, that says I have to listen to her. You don’t deserve that. I can’t—I can’t put you through that right now. We have to be dance partners, and I don’t want to mess anything up with you.”

Emma nodded, a lump forming in her throat. “Yeah.”

“Do you get what I’m trying to say?” Alyssa asked, her eyes searching Emma’s.

“I’m not sure,” Emma admitted. “You’re saying we can’t be together. That’s fair,” she said, her voice wavering a little. “I just… I have to know something.”

“Anything,” Alyssa said, taking a tiny step closer.

Emma took a deep breath. “Do you have feelings for me?”

“Yes,” Alyssa said softly, almost choking on a sob. “_Yes_, Emma, I have feelings for you.”

“I—” Emma blinked rapidly, unable to stop tears from spilling down her cheeks. She didn’t know quite why she was crying – sadness, maybe, or relief that she wasn’t the only one – but the tears didn’t stop. “I have feelings for you, too.”

Her heart screamed at her to tell Alyssa that she was in love with her, but Emma couldn’t bring herself to say it. Not now. Not when she thought she knew where this conversation was headed.

Alyssa’s bottom lip wobbled, and a multitude of emotions passed over her face. “You do?”

“Since our first dance,” Emma whispered. “I was so scared to tell you, because I didn’t want something like this to happen. I didn’t want to fuck everything up. And now I have.”

“It’s not your fault,” Alyssa said immediately, taking another step closer. She lifted her hand like she was going to wipe away Emma’s tears, but then she stopped herself. “It’s mine.”

Emma shook her head. “No. I won’t let you… I won’t let you take the blame for this. Or for yesterday.”

“I want you, Emma,” Alyssa said, closing her eyes. “I want to be with you, but… I just can’t. Not right now.”

“I want to be with you, too,” Emma said, drawing a ragged breath. “And, if you still want me after the season is over… I’ll wait.”

Alyssa’s eyes shot open. “What?”

“I’d wait forever for you,” Emma said simply. “I understand what you’ve been taught, Alyssa. I’m not going to push you into something you don’t feel like you can do. However long it takes… I’ll always want to be with you. If you’ll let me.”

Alyssa hugged her, then, tighter than she ever had before. Emma wrapped her arms around Alyssa’s shaking body, holding her close and treasuring every moment of it, because she hadn’t been sure if she’d ever get to hold her like this again. Alyssa’s hands clutched Emma’s shirt as she cried into her neck, bunching the material in her fists. Emma couldn’t help the way she was crying, too, the emotional release of this conversation quickly becoming more than she could handle.

She pulled back from the hug, but neither one of them let the other go. Emma looked into Alyssa’s eyes, her thumbs stroking gently over her wet cheeks. Alyssa’s eyes fluttered closed for a second.

“We can revisit this talk after the final, if you want?” Alyssa murmured.

Emma felt her heart leap. “I would love that.”

“Yeah?” Alyssa looked like she was hardly daring to hope.

“Yes,” Emma said firmly. She took a shaky breath. “My feelings for you aren’t going to change.”

For a second, it looked like Alyssa’s face was going to crumple all over again, but she breathed in deeply and bit down hard on her bottom lip, and it seemed to work. “You’re the most incredible person I’ve ever met.”

“Shut up,” Emma muttered, blushing. Alyssa gave a watery laugh and, suddenly, everything felt a bit more normal.

“Never.”

They stood there in silence for a little while, still holding onto each other. Emma let her eyes roam around Alyssa’s face, the way she’d wanted to but hadn’t let herself do for the past day. She’d missed looking at Alyssa’s face. She’d missed not being scared to meet her gaze.

“We should probably rehearse soon,” Alyssa said finally. “Seeing as camera blocking went so badly.”

Emma nodded. “Yeah, we should. Can we make a promise, though?”

“What promise?”

“That we’ll be okay?” Emma’s voice was quiet. “That we’ll tell each other things? Because the uncertainty was killing me.”

“Promise,” Alyssa said, leaning her forehead against Emma’s.

Emma sighed, closing her eyes. She wasn’t quite sure how she was feeling right now, because this conversation hadn’t really gone the way she thought it might. Alyssa wanted to be with her. Emma’s feelings weren’t one-sided. Things were complicated now, but there was the possibility of one day…

Maybe, after that day, Emma would tell her she loved her.

* * *

Alyssa barely slept that night.

She couldn’t stop thinking about everything that Emma had said; the way she’d told her that she’d wait forever like it was the simplest thing in the world to her, and had made it seem like everything Alyssa had been taught was even further from the truth than what she’d already thought. Come morning, Alyssa huffed at herself, rolling over in bed and picking up her phone.

She called her mom.

“Alyssa, darling, it must be so early for you,” was the first thing Mrs Greene said to her.

“Why did you tell me I shouldn’t be dating Emma?”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. “I don’t quite know what—”

“Weeks ago. You told me I couldn’t let myself get distracted by her,” Alyssa interrupted. “Why?”

“Well, because you can’t let anything keep you from focusing on your job,” her mother said, sounding bewildered.

“_Why_?”

“Alyssa, this is very—”

“I just want to know what would be so bad about not choosing between love and career,” Alyssa said, closing her eyes. “I want to know why I can’t have both.”

“Love?”

“Yes,” Alyssa said shortly. “Love. Tell me why I can’t have both.”

“Alyssa, sweetheart, this is your first season in a professional pair,” Mrs Greene said. “Lord knows I was worried enough when they paired you with a woman, and when I saw those first pictures, because I wanted you to take this promotion seriously.”

“I take it very seriously,” Alyssa protested. “Mom, on paper what you said made sense. That’s why I didn’t question it. But what Emma and I have… you were so wrong, and I can see that now.”

“Alyssa, what are you saying?”

Alyssa laughed suddenly. “I really don’t know,” she admitted. “I have no idea what I’m doing or saying, except that I’m just trying to do and say what feels right. And listening to everything you’ve repeated over and over again about distractions? It feels so wrong.”

“You’re not thinking clearly,” Mrs Greene said carefully.

“I love her, mom,” Alyssa said. “I’m in love with her, and the only distraction from the competition has come from me pretending that I’m not.”

There was a long silence. Alyssa breathed deeply, putting a hand over her mouth because she couldn’t quite believe she’d just said all that. Her heart pounded as she waited to see what her mother’s response was going to be.

“I just want what’s best for you,” Mrs Greene said finally.

Alyssa sighed, closing her eyes. “And I love you for that. But I don’t—I don’t think I can ignore what my heart is telling me anymore.”

She hung up without another word, dropping her phone on the bed beside her. She felt strangely alive. Emma had feelings for her. Emma would wait for her. It might all work out.

Alyssa got out of bed, going to her bathroom and turning the shower on. She had a long day ahead, and despite what she’d just told her mom, she needed to get into the right headspace to not let anyone down. Herself. Her Jive team. Emma. They all had jobs to do. But maybe, once the taping was over, she could come back to unravelling the web of thoughts that had tangled her brain for so long.

* * *

“Although it pains me to admit it,” Alyssa said, standing in front of Emma with a half-smile on her face, “you weren’t wrong about the dress.”

Emma just stared at her, trying to kickstart her brain into action again. “I wasn’t… huh?”

It wasn’t her fault that she was so slow today, because seeing Alyssa in her Argentine Tango dress had completely shut down any intelligent thought process she might have once been capable of. It was crimson, and the cut of the front was heart-stoppingly low. When Alyssa had twirled around in it, Emma had seen that the back was cut just as low. The bodice was tight; the skirt looser, with a slit that went dizzingly high up Alyssa’s right leg. Alyssa’s hair was tousled. Her eyes were dark. Her mouth was painted the same deep red as the dress and all Emma wanted to do was smudge her lipstick.

“You were annoyingly right back at the restaurant,” Alyssa said. “When you guessed what my dress was going to look like.”

“Oh,” Emma said, her eyes widening as she suddenly remembered. “Oh, yeah.”

“They were toying with the idea of putting my hair up,” Alyssa said, playing with a strand of it. “But this was the style that worked best for this and the Jive.”

“Okay,” Emma said dumbly. “You look nice.”

She winced at the feeble compliment, but Alyssa just smiled at her. Emma wondered if she knew the kind of effect she had on her. She wondered if Alyssa was doing this on purpose. Emma thought back to when she herself had just pulled off her sweater in that one rehearsal, and the look on Alyssa’s face. She thought back to Alyssa pulling her closer by her suspenders.

She looked down at them now, wondering if she’d ever had a similar effect on Alyssa.

The dress run of _Roxanne _went well, all things considered. At any rate, it was a million times better than yesterday’s camera blocking had been. Emma was grateful for that, because she would never have forgiven herself if one kiss had meant messing everything up for their chances in the competition.

To her surprise, Shelby came up to her just before the show. Emma had just changed back into her Jive costume ready for the broadcast, and froze for a second when she met Shelby’s eyes in the mirror. She was half worried that Shelby was here to yell at her or something, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“Your rehearsal looked like it went a lot better today,” she commented.

“Yeah,” Emma said. “I think it definitely did.”

Shelby’s eyes glinted as she came to stand by Emma’s shoulder. “I’m glad. Does that mean you talked?”

“I—”

“Don’t play dumb,” Shelby snorted. “Believe me, I’m aware of how you two idiots feel about each other.”

“Oh,” Emma said, blushing. “Wait, has Alyssa talked about me?”

“Only practically every day since she met you,” Shelby said. “I’m a good friend and won’t repeat what she said, but I think I deserve a medal.”

“If it’s anything like what I’ve been putting my grandma and Carrie through, I think you may be right.”

“You know, on second thought, the one thing I will say is that Alyssa has believed in you since day one,” Shelby said softly.

Emma’s forehead creased. “What do you mean?”

“A bunch of us were talking in one of the pro rehearsals after the first live show,” Shelby recounted. “Challenging each other. And then Alyssa said something about you winning.”

“She…”

“Kaylee asked her if she really thought you could win,” Shelby continued, only stumbling a little bit on the name. “And she said ‘of course I do’, just like that. Like it was the easiest thing in the world to believe.”

Emma’s head was spinning. “But I was so bad in the first week.”

“Not to her, you weren’t,” Shelby said with a shrug. “I don’t know what exactly you two said to each other yesterday, but I guess I just wanted you to know that when she tells you she knows you can do this, it’s not just for show. She really does believe it. She always has.”

“I—” Emma blinked back sudden tears. “I didn’t know she’d said that.”

“I didn’t expect her to tell you,” Shelby said. “But I thought it was something you could stand to hear. Break a leg out there, Emma.”

She turned to leave.

“Shelby?”

“Yeah?”

Emma met her eyes in the mirror once more. “I’m in love with her.”

“You are?” Shelby’s eyebrows were raised but, other than that, it was hard to tell what she was thinking. “Good.”

“She doesn’t know,” Emma said quickly. “I told her I have feelings for her, which is true, but I didn’t… not yet.”

Shelby nodded slowly, chewing on her bottom lip. When she spoke, her voice was quiet. “I’m in love with Kaylee. She doesn’t know yet, either.”

“One day, yeah?” Emma smiled ruefully.

Shelby’s eyes softened. “One day.”

* * *

“Ready, team?” Kevin asked, putting his hand into the middle of their huddle.

Alyssa slapped her hand down on top of his. “Fuck yeah.”

She heard Emma laugh at her side, and then her hand was covering Alyssa’s. The other three all put their hands in, too. It was strange for Alyssa, because in a way this dance was the thing she – as a former troupe member – was most used to, and yet it was completely unlike anything she’d done before. These people were her friends, but they were also her competitors, but they were also her teammates for this one dance.

“Fuck Contemp, on three,” Elliott joked.

They said it anyway. The show was on a commercial break, and their mics were off, so there was nothing to worry about.

There was an indescribable energy in the room when the team took to the floor. The camaraderie that Alyssa felt with these people was extraordinary, and she could feel something bubbling up inside her as they all took their starting positions. It could’ve also had something to do with how much lighter she felt compared to yesterday, now that she’d finally told Emma how she felt, and now that she’d said what she wanted to say to her mother.

The music started, and Alyssa’s eyes immediately found Emma’s. There was a kind of confidence exuding from her as she danced with the guys, and Alyssa loved it. She landed the flip perfectly, crooking a finger at Alyssa, who couldn’t help the wide smile that spread across her face as she got to her feet and took her hand. They went to join the others in the middle of the dance floor, beginning to Jive in earnest.

There was so much joy in the dance; a playfulness that Alyssa had been worried they’d been lacking until now. Everyone was in perfect time from beginning to end, and her and Emma’s kicks and flicks solo section was the best it had ever been. As she rocked around the floor with Emma, coming back together with the other two pairs towards the conclusion of the routine, she allowed herself to live in this moment for just a second. The six of them hit their final pose, breathing hard as the crowd’s roars started to register in their ears.

Carrie pulled everyone into a group hug, and Alyssa savored the moment before they would go back to being competitors. They disentangled themselves and found their respective dance partners, heading over to the judges’ table to receive their feedback. It all passed in a blur to Alyssa, because Emma’s arm was around her waist and she was still panting a little from the exertion of the dance, and she couldn’t focus on anything else.

The team ended up scoring 28 for the dance, which Alyssa was pleased with. She was especially pleased when it ended up being one point higher than team Contemporary’s score. There wasn’t really a prize for the winning team, per se, but knowing that she had beaten Shelby after the ordeal of the past few days was reward enough. Kevin, too, was extremely pleased with the win, because he knew that Hayden would never have let him live it down if he’d lost to her.

Her and Emma’s Argentine Tango would be the dance to close this week’s show, and so Alyssa felt like she could take her time getting changed. She watched the broadcast on the monitors in the dressing room, seeing Noah and Hayden’s dance, as well as Carrie and Elliott’s. Both scored pretty impressively; Carrie even got a 29. She felt the pressure start to settle on her shoulders, as was always the case, to make this dance their best one yet.

Alyssa was walking down a hall back towards the Sky Box when she almost ran into Emma. Alyssa’s eyes dropped down to take in how low Emma’s white shirt was buttoned, distantly wondering if it was revenge for the cut of her dress. She tried not to stare too long but, when she looked up to meet Emma’s eyes, she knew she’d been caught.

“See something you like?” Emma asked casually.

“Yes,” Alyssa replied, and Emma’s eyes widened like she hadn’t been expecting her to admit it. Alyssa herself couldn’t quite believe she’d just admitted it.

“Oh.”

Still not quite thinking things through, Alyssa reached out to hook a finger around Emma’s suspenders. “I like these.”

“I… I guessed,” Emma said, and Alyssa felt heat rushing to her face at the memory of yanking Emma closer by them.

“Uh, are you ready to get back up there?” Alyssa asked, nodding in the direction of the Sky Box.

“Yeah,” Emma said, fidgeting on the spot. Alyssa went to walk past her, but then Emma’s hand was shooting out to catch hold of her wrist. “I just…”

“What is it?” Alyssa frowned in concern, because Emma looked nervous. Oh, God, she hadn’t changed her mind about them, had she?

“I was just thinking about how we said we’d tell each other stuff,” Emma said hurriedly. “And, um, this is kind of an intense dance we’re doing and I just felt like I needed to be honest about something and get it off my chest and it’s kind of embarrassing so—”

“Whatever it is, you can tell me,” Alyssa said. “You know that, right?”

“Right,” Emma said, taking a deep breath and ducking her head. “The night after our Rumba, I… I may have, um, touched myself.”

It felt as if all the air had been knocked out of Alyssa’s lungs. “You…”

“I was thinking about you,” Emma admitted in a small voice, squeezing her eyes shut. “I tried not to, because I didn’t want to cross a line, but you were just in my head and wouldn’t leave and I… I just thought you deserved to know.”

If Alyssa had been quicker to gather her thoughts, she would’ve told Emma that it was okay. Hell, she would’ve told Emma that she’d done the exact same thing. But, in that moment, all that was in her brain was the mental image that Emma’s words had conjured, which caused a spike of heat to go through Alyssa’s lower body.

She had just opened her mouth to reply when a crew member called for them at the end of the hall, and she knew they had to go. She tried to reassure Emma non-verbally that she wasn’t upset, or disgusted, or any of the things she knew Emma was worried she might be. As they walked quickly in the direction of the Sky Box, Alyssa slipped her hand into Emma’s. She heard Emma let out a long breath beside her, and hoped that she’d managed to put her nerves at ease for now, because she sure as hell wasn’t going to get an opportunity to respond until after they’d danced.

Oh, no. She was going to dance this routine with Emma while all she could think about was Emma getting herself off after their Rumba two weeks ago. She was in love with Emma’s honesty, but she really had picked a very inopportune time to confess that particular secret.

As soon as they took to the floor, something felt different. The electricity Alyssa could feel had only ever happened once before – the run-through that they hadn’t even gotten to the end of because they’d stopped dancing and started kissing instead. God, she was doomed.

Alyssa tried to focus on the steps, eventually letting muscle memory take over, and then it was just her and Emma on the floor. Emma was so close, and her hands were warm where they rested on Alyssa’s body, and her eyes were dark and inches away from Alyssa’s own. Her body buzzed with arousal, especially when she felt Emma’s fingers strong underneath her chin as she stood up after the same move that had been her undoing two days ago.

She dragged her hands very deliberately up Emma’s body, her lips curling into a smile when she heard Emma’s stuttered breath. They kept going with the dance, but it took all of Alyssa’s self-restraint. Emma was teasing her now, she was sure of it, and Alyssa was determined to tease her right back.

She raked her hand through Emma’s hair, passing it off as a choreography choice, and saw Emma’s eyes close momentarily. There was fire in them when she opened them again, and it sent a thrill right through Alyssa, down to her toes. Emma’s hands gripped her tighter as they came to the conclusion of the dance, picking her up off the ground in their final lift.

The song played its last note, and there was a split-second of silence before the audience cheered. Emma set her back down on the ground, breathing hard. Alyssa was sure she looked just as shell-shocked as Emma currently did. She wasn’t quite sure what had happened in that dance; it was like she’d forgotten entirely that they were on television and not just dancing by themselves.

“Well that was… passionate,” Barry said, when asked for his feedback, and it strangely helped to break the tension that had fallen over the room. “But, in all seriousness, I think we just witnessed the dance of the season.”

Alyssa heard Emma whisper, “Oh my God.”

She squeezed Emma’s hand tightly, her smile growing wider and wider the more positive feedback came their way. Even Dee Dee didn’t have any criticisms, although there was a wicked glint in her eye as she asked them both if they wanted some of her water. Alyssa’s face grew even hotter.

She tuned out whatever Trent was saying, choosing to let Emma answer the actually very innocent question of what it had been like learning two very different dances in one week. She could hear the wolf-whistles of her friends in the background, but she tuned them out, too. All she focused on was Emma by her side. She marvelled at how much more confident she’d become in the past two months, and how proud of her she was.

“The scores are in,” Trent reported, and Alyssa snapped back into the real world, focusing her gaze on the monitor.

“Ten!” Angie yelled.

Barry pretended to fan himself with his free hand. “Ten!”

Alyssa waited with baited breath, watching Dee Dee’s frustratingly impassive face closely for any hint. They’d been in this position two weeks earlier, but she was hoping against hope for a different outcome.

“Ten.”

Alyssa clapped a hand over her mouth, turning to look at Emma with wide eyes. Emma stared back disbelievingly, happy tears gathering in the corners of her own. She threw her arms around Alyssa, hugging her tightly and whispering a thank you in her ear. Alyssa bit back the three words that were on the tip of her tongue.

After everything that had happened this week; all the pain and all the confusion… they’d gotten their first perfect score.

* * *

**ocean **@zazzhands: holy fucking shit you guys im,,, IS THAT ALLOWED ON TV PLEASE THEY WERE BASICALLY FUCKING

**not kara **@emmagreene: okay alright cool ill just see myself out then i guess i am in need of a cold shower

**leigh **@alyssanolan: i don’t think you’re the only one… take that in whatever way you want

**freddie **@sapphicsamba: okay there’s no way they haven’t done it

**hoe **@timewives: @sapphicsamba lets put it to the people

**hoe **@timewives: attention dwts twitter regarding [redacted] and [redacted],,, do you think theyve [redacted]

[poll options: yes/nah/wtf r u talking about]

* * *

Emma was sat in her dressing room, back in her street clothes, almost done taking her makeup off, when there was a knock at the door. She frowned, because as far as she knew, everyone else had already gone home. She herself had taken her time, still in the bubble she’d been in since their scores had been announced. With a combined total of 58/60, she and Alyssa had been at the top of the leaderboard.

“Come in,” she said, a little hesitantly, twisting around in her chair.

The door opened, and Alyssa walked in. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Emma said, a little surprised. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d gone home already.”

“No,” Alyssa said. “Not yet.”

She was dressed in her normal clothes again, too, which helped Emma breathe a little easier. She still looked completely stunning, though, especially with the light that Emma could see behind her eyes.

“Is everything okay?” Emma asked, because Alyssa looked as if she was on the edge of saying something.

“I, um,” Alyssa said, closing the door behind her and taking a few steps towards Emma. She shouldered her backpack more firmly. “I’ve been thinking.”

Emma’s stomach plummeted, and she stood up a little awkwardly. “Oh.”

“I can’t do this,” Alyssa whispered, her eyes searching Emma’s frantically as she stepped closer still, until she was right in front of her.

“I understand,” Emma said, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. “Really, I do. And thank you for telling—”

Alyssa kissed her.

Emma’s brain shut down completely, because this was the last thing she’d been expecting. Alyssa’s hands cupped her cheeks, and her lips pressed firmly against Emma’s own, and everywhere they were touching felt like it was on fire. Alyssa pulled back, clasping her own hands together under her chin.

Emma stood there, dumbfounded. “What?”

“I can’t pretend that not being with you isn’t killing me,” Alyssa said softly, dropping her hands to her sides. “I can’t take it anymore. I just want _you_.”

“I—” Emma’s voice was thick with emotion. “But I thought you said—”

“Fuck what I said,” Alyssa said. Her voice was firm. “Fuck thinking I have to choose between you and the trophy. Fuck all of it.”

Emma reached out for Alyssa, pulling her by the waist into another kiss. Alyssa kissed her back immediately, threading her hands through Emma’s hair and biting her bottom lip. Emma groaned, opening her mouth and shivering when she felt Alyssa’s tongue dip past her lips.

Alyssa pressed her back against the dressing room table until Emma was half-sitting on it with Alyssa standing between her legs to bring them as close together as possible. Emma let out a whimper when Alyssa’s hands fisted in her hair, grasping at Alyssa’s hips to keep herself steady. Emma gasped into Alyssa’s mouth as she felt her hands trail down the sides of her neck until they were resting on her sternum. Alyssa broke the kiss, but stayed impossibly close.

“Emma,” she whined. “I want to—can I touch?”

“Yes,” Emma breathed, capturing her lips again in a bruising kiss and feeling her heart speed up in her chest as Alyssa’s hands slid further down until they were cupping her breasts through the shirt. She held onto Alyssa tightly, making a noise in the back of her throat and not quite believing that this was real life. She moved her hands to Alyssa’s ass, pulling her even closer, and then they were both moaning as Alyssa pressed herself tighter between Emma’s legs.

“Shit,” Emma panted against Alyssa’s lips. “Lys, that feels…”

“I know,” Alyssa said around a strangled gasp. “Emma, please. I _need _you.”

Emma swallowed, feeling Alyssa’s words hit her square between the thighs. “Oh, God. I want you so bad. But… maybe not here.”

“Your place?” Alyssa pulled back a little further, just enough to look her in the eyes. Alyssa’s eyes were clear, and darker than Emma had ever seen them before.

“Yeah,” Emma whispered. “Just remind me where I live again?”

Alyssa laughed, kissing her again before pulling back and handing Emma her bag. “I’ll give you directions.”

“Cool,” Emma murmured. She followed Alyssa out of the dressing room, still reeling at what had just happened in the last few minutes. Alyssa took hold of her hand, interlacing their fingers, and oddly enough that was the thing that made Emma’s heart flutter the most.

She barely remembered the drive home; only that Alyssa had decided to leave her own car in the parking lot, and her hand hadn’t left Emma’s thigh for the duration of the drive back to Emma’s apartment. Really, it was a wonder they didn’t crash. Emma managed to unlock her door at the fourth attempt, pulling it open and then she and Alyssa were stepping inside.

As soon as the front door closed behind them, Emma felt weirdly like she could breathe again. Alyssa looked up at her, taking a step closer with a soft smile on her face which Emma couldn’t help but return. She laced their fingers together again, drawing Alyssa closer until they were standing chest to chest.

“Hey,” Alyssa whispered.

“Hey,” Emma said back, her eyes dropping to Alyssa’s lips. “Are you sure about this?”

“I’m sure,” Alyssa said immediately. “I’m _very _sure. Are you?”

“Completely,” Emma breathed. “I want… I just want you. Every part.”

Alyssa groaned softly, leaning in. “Then let’s go to bed.”

“Oh my God,” Emma whispered, remembering the way she’d spoken the same words completely differently just over a week ago. “You’re going to be the death of me, Alyssa Greene.”

She kissed her again, unable to stop herself. She disentangled their hands to cup Alyssa’s jaw, feeling Alyssa’s hands slip under the bottom of her shirt and brush against bare skin. And, just like that, Emma couldn’t stand it anymore. She steered Alyssa in the direction of her bedroom, both of them kicking their shoes off as they went. Emma almost tripped over one of Alyssa’s sneakers, but Alyssa kept her upright.

Somehow, they found their way to the bedroom without crashing into anything important. Emma shut the door behind them, turning back around to see Alyssa already pulling her sweater over her head and discarding it on the floor. They both took a step towards each other, meeting in a searing kiss, and Emma tried to pour everything she was feeling into it. All the love, and all the desperation, and all the disbelief that she was actually getting to kiss Alyssa like this.

Alyssa’s hands went to the hem of her shirt, tugging it up. They only broke the kiss for long enough to get Emma’s shirt off, and then the item of clothing was being tossed somewhere in the room and they were kissing again. Alyssa’s hands skimmed over her bare stomach, making Emma shudder pleasantly under the touch. She was struck with the need to take Alyssa’s shirt off, too, and so she did.

Logically, Emma knew she’d seen Alyssa dressed in some pretty revealing clothes. But there was just something about seeing her standing there in leggings and a bra, her chest rising and falling rapidly and her lips parted and kiss-swollen, that set Emma’s insides ablaze. She wrapped her arms around the small of Alyssa’s back, drawing her into a kiss and delighting in the feeling of their bare skin pressed together.

“Bed,” Alyssa managed between kisses.

Emma thought that sounded like a great idea. She pushed, and Alyssa pulled, and then they were toppling onto Emma’s bed. Alyssa landed on her back with Emma on top of her, and she was gazing up at Emma with so much heat behind her eyes that it made Emma blush.

Her hands went to the waistline of Alyssa’s leggings. “Can I?”

“Please,” Alyssa nodded, biting her lip.

Emma pulled her leggings down and off, taking her socks with them and skimming her hands back up Alyssa’s bare legs. Her breathing picked up at the amount of skin on display in the low light.

“You, too?” Alyssa asked hopefully, and Emma grinned at her as she quickly stood back up and pulled her own pants and socks off, until they were both just covered by their bras and underwear.

Alyssa moved further up the bed, towards the headboard, crooking her finger in what Emma thought was a cruel imitation of her own dance move in the Jive. She followed, unable to resist even if she’d wanted to, and wrapped an arm around Alyssa to pull her up so that she was sat in her lap.

She kissed Alyssa on the lips once, lingering there before trailing her kisses down her jaw to her neck. Alyssa moaned softly above her, whimpering when Emma sucked hard at her pulse point. Emma fell more in love with each and every sound that passed Alyssa’s lips. Her hands skimmed up Alyssa’s back until they hit the clasp of her bra.

“Yes,” Alyssa said, before Emma could even ask. “Yes.”

Heart racing, Emma unclasped her bra and slid the straps down her shoulders. She pulled her lips back from Alyssa’s neck as she tossed the bra aside, wanting to look at her. Her breath caught in her throat, and she touched Alyssa gently with trembling hands. Alyssa sighed above her, breath hitching when Emma’s thumbs brushed over her nipples.

“Jesus, Alyssa, you’re so beautiful,” Emma whispered. “So beautiful.”

She lowered her head, kissing a path down Alyssa’s sternum until she could close her lips around the peak of one of Alyssa’s breasts. Alyssa’s hands flew to tangle in her hair as Emma swirled her tongue around her nipple, her breathing growing ragged when Emma released it and draw her other nipple into her mouth instead.

“Fuck,” Alyssa whimpered, her voice higher than Emma had ever heard it. “Baby, please. I want to see you.”

Trying in vain to ignore the way her heart skipped at the term of endearment, Emma regrettably pulled back from Alyssa’s chest and tugged her sports bra up and off over her head. When she focused back in on Alyssa, it was to see her eyes glinting as her gaze fixated on Emma’s breasts.

Emma, feeling suddenly self-conscious, went to cross her arms over her naked chest, but Alyssa caught hold of her wrists. “Don’t you dare,” she growled.

“Wh—”

Emma was cut off as Alyssa flipped her onto her back, grinning down at her and cupping Emma’s breasts like she had done back in the dressing room, except this time there were no clothing barriers in the way. Emma choked on her own breath, watching as Alyssa fixated on her chest first with her hands and then with her mouth.

Arousal pooled between Emma’s legs as Alyssa sucked and kissed at her chest, and she barely noticed Alyssa’s hands sliding down her torso until she was brushing lightly at the hem of her underwear. Alyssa lifted her head for long enough to ask permission, waiting for Emma’s nod before peeling the underwear down her legs at a torturous pace.

“Alyssa,” Emma whined, because all Alyssa was doing was staring at her with a hungry expression on her face. “I need—I want you inside me.”

“That—oh _God _—that sounds like the best idea you’ve ever had,” Alyssa gasped, leaning over Emma’s body and kissing her soundly. Emma’s fingers traced up and down her spine, eliciting a whimper and making Alyssa arch into her. So much of their naked skin was pressed together, and it made Emma’s head spin.

One of Alyssa’s hands stroked over Emma’s face, and the other drew patterns on her hipbone. Emma squirmed underneath her, a second away from begging, and then Alyssa pulled back from the kiss, met her eyes, and moved her fingers to the apex of Emma’s legs, finally touching her for real.

“Fuck, Alyssa,” Emma said, panting a little. “Please.”

Alyssa looked at her with an awestruck expression. “You’re so wet.”

“All because of you,” Emma whimpered, sliding her hands into Alyssa’s hair. “All _for _you.”

Alyssa groaned, moving her fingers around until she brushed Emma’s clit. Emma yelped, her hips jerking forwards, and Alyssa’s lips curled into a smile. She leaned down to kiss Emma again, and Emma surrendered to the feeling of Alyssa everywhere. She moaned into Alyssa’s mouth, her heart beating so loudly it was a wonder Alyssa hadn’t commented on it yet.

Emma shook with anticipation when one of Alyssa’s fingers found her entrance. She bucked her hips, praying that Alyssa would give her what she wanted, and was rewarded as Alyssa slipped her finger inside. Emma bit Alyssa’s lip, tugging on it as gently as she could. Alyssa pulled her finger out only to easily push two inside a moment later, and Emma’s mouth fell open.

Alyssa moved her head to the side to kiss Emma’s neck instead, allowing a symphony of noises to escape her lips. Emma didn’t know if she could keep quiet, even if she wanted to. Alyssa’s smell surrounded her, making Emma feel light-headed in the best way as she continued to thrust into her.

“More,” Emma gasped.

Readjusting herself, Alyssa used her thigh to push her fingers deeper into Emma with every thrust. She curled her fingers inside her, and Emma’s hands scrabbled uselessly against Alyssa’s shoulders. Alyssa was building her up embarrassingly quickly, her teeth grazing the sensitive skin of Emma’s neck.

“You’re gonna make me—” Emma cut herself off with a keening sound when Alyssa’s thumb swiped firmly over her clit. “Oh, God.”

Alyssa whined into her neck, sucking on the skin at the same time as she started drawing tight circles around her clit. All Emma could do was hold onto her tightly as her hips jerked uncontrollably and the pressure inside her reached its limit.

“I’m—” Emma started, choking on her own breath as her orgasm hit her. She moaned loudly, clenching around Alyssa’s fingers as she kept thrusting into her. Alyssa released her hold on Emma’s neck, pulling back to watch her as she came. Emma looked up into Alyssa’s eyes as wave after wave of white-hot pleasure crashed over her, until she collapsed back on the bed.

After a long moment of them just looking at each other, panting harshly, Alyssa slipped her fingers out of Emma. She brought them up to her mouth, sucking them clean, and Emma’s head fell back against the pillow as she groaned, because that wasn’t fair.

“You taste good,” Alyssa murmured, brushing some hair back from Emma’s sweaty forehead.

“Not as good as you, I bet,” Emma said, regaining her strength and using her core to flip them once more. “And right now all I wanna do is find out what you taste like.”

Alyssa’s eyes widened. “Holy shit. Please.”

Emma moved her hands to the last piece of clothing covering her, and Alyssa lifted her hips immediately so that she could pull the underwear off. As soon as Alyssa was completely naked underneath her, Emma allowed herself just a moment to simply look at her. She traced her finger over the lines of Alyssa’s abdomen, feeling Alyssa shiver as she did so.

Kissing and licking her way down Alyssa’s body, Emma felt herself getting dizzier and dizzier the closer she got to her hips. She spent some time teasing the skin between Alyssa’s hips and her thighs, until Alyssa was squirming impatiently and one of her hands buried itself in Emma’s hair again. Her nails scratched at Emma’s scalp, and Emma let out a loud moan into the crease of Alyssa’s thigh.

“You don’t _need _to tease me,” Alyssa gasped.

Emma licked at her, then, and heard Alyssa’s stuttered intake of breath. “You’re right,” she said, a shiver going through her. “You’re so fucking wet, I can’t—”

“Please,” Alyssa begged, hitching one of her legs over Emma’s shoulder. “Em.”

Emma lowered her head, licking at Alyssa’s slit firmer this time and failing to hold back her own groan at the taste. She trailed her tongue through Alyssa’s folds up to her clit, tracing patterns over it and delighting in the way that Alyssa couldn’t seem to keep her hips still. She held them down as best she could, moving away from Alyssa’s clit for a moment so that she could dip her tongue inside of her. Alyssa made a high-pitched sound when she did, and Emma was sure her own moan vibrated through her. She moved higher again, wrapping her lips around Alyssa’s clit and sucking.

“_Emma_!”

Glancing up, Emma saw what was perhaps her new favorite sight in the entire world: Alyssa, sprawled on her bed with her chest heaving and her abs rippling as she moved underneath Emma’s ministrations. Her head was thrown back against the pillows, but then she lifted it and met Emma’s eyes. Emma sucked harder on her clit, watching as Alyssa’s mouth fell open and feeling her thighs start to shake. Her foot dug into Emma’s back.

“I’m gonna come,” Alyssa panted. “Oh my God, I’m gonna…”

The rest of her sentence was lost to a growl that escaped her throat. Her hips bucked under Emma’s hands, and Emma lavished Alyssa’s clit with her tongue just before her muscles went stiff. Alyssa rode out her orgasm against her face, Emma licking at her all the while, until finally she slumped on the mattress, her fingers loosening their grip on Emma’s hair.

Wiping her mouth with the back of one of her hands, Emma rested her chin lightly on Alyssa’s lower abdomen. Alyssa looked at her, the tips of her fingers stroking the top of her head, and then she was cupping Emma’s cheek and encouraging her back up again.

Emma travelled back up her body, expecting Alyssa’s leg to fall back into place, but it didn’t. Instead, Alyssa’s leg went higher and higher as Emma got further up her body, her eyes never once looking away from Emma’s as she ended up in almost a half-split. Whimpering at the sight, Emma couldn’t help but find Alyssa’s entrance again, this time with a finger. She sunk her finger inside Alyssa, whose jaw dropped in pleasure, and then she was pulling back and adding another one – much like Alyssa had done to her earlier.

“Don’t stop,” Alyssa whispered hoarsely.

“Fuck, I can’t believe this is happening,” Emma said, her voice soft. “I can’t believe I’m touching you like this. I can’t believe I made you come. Can you come for me again, Lys?”

It didn’t take long at all before Alyssa’s walls tightened, and she came around Emma’s fingers with a low moan. Emma watched her twitch in quiet awe as she came back down, before Alyssa’s body relaxed and her leg finally slipped from over Emma’s shoulder.

Emma dragged herself up to lie next to Alyssa, both of them breathing harshly. Emma waited, wondering if the panic would set in, but it didn’t. From Alyssa’s peaceful expression, it didn’t for her, either. Alyssa reached out a hand to stroke over Emma’s cheek, her eyes shining.

“That was even better than my fantasy,” she breathed.

Emma’s brain screeched to a halt. “Your…”

“What?” Alyssa chuckled, just a tiny bit apprehensive. “You thought you were the only one?”

“Well, kind of, yeah.”

“I gotta say,” Alyssa said, her breathing evening out even as she pulled Emma closer again. “Fantasy Emma has nothing on the real thing.”

Emma closed her eyes, images of Alyssa touching herself to thoughts of her flooding her mind and setting her body humming with arousal all over again. “Fuck, that’s so hot.”

“How do you think you telling me right before our dance made me feel?” Alyssa said, her hand trailing down Emma’s body with purpose. “Tell me what I did, in your head. I wanna do it better.”

Emma moaned, pulling Alyssa closer. “You’re so competitive.”

“Is that a problem?” Alyssa asked in a whisper.

“Not even a little bit.”

* * *

Alyssa didn't know how much time passed until they both finally collapsed on Emma's bed, completely spent.

She looked over at Emma and couldn't help the tired smile that spread across her face as she saw her with her eyes closed, grinning as her breathing slowly returned to normal. Alyssa rolled onto her side, reaching out and tracing light patterns over the damp skin of Emma's abdomen. Emma's breath hitched, and Alyssa bit her lip.

"Was I better?"

Emma's eyes opened, and she turned her head to look at her in confusion. "What?"

"Than fantasy me," Alyssa said. Emma snorted.

"Are you kidding? That was so much better than _anything_ my brain could've even started to come up with," Emma said, before turning serious. "It was... Alyssa, it was perfect."

"Yeah," Alyssa breathed. "It was."

"I'm so tired," Emma said, with a happy little sigh. She shuffled closer to Alyssa, both of them still on top of the sheets, and wrapped an arm around her waist. "All your fault."

"Emma, you gotta take your contacts out," Alyssa said.

Emma pulled a face. "I know."

"We've got to brush our teeth before bed."

"I know."

Alyssa, seeing that Emma had closed her eyes, leaned forwards and kissed the tip of her nose. "Come on. Bathroom, now. You'll thank me tomorrow."

"You're so bossy," Emma grumbled, but she was smiling.

"If you're only just now figuring that out, then I don't know what to tell you."

* * *

Emma groaned, feeling like she’d only been asleep for five minutes before her alarm went off. She reached behind her to silence it, her arm flopping back down after. She froze as her arm landed on something, and cracked an eye open. As soon as she did, memories of last night came back to her in a rush, and suddenly she couldn’t catch her breath.

Alyssa yawned next to her, stretching her legs beneath the sheets and brushing against Emma’s. The sheets covered her, but Emma remembered that they’d both fallen asleep completely naked, and her heart skipped a beat. Alyssa opened her eyes, blinking sleepily a couple of times before her gaze sharpened.

“Hey,” she rasped, and the sound of her voice did funny things to Emma’s stomach.

“Um, hey,” she said. Her hand fiddled with the sheets, and her eyes searched Alyssa’s for any hint of regret. She swallowed. “So. We had sex.”

A slow smile spread across Alyssa’s face. “We did,” she confirmed, her smile turning into a smirk. “A lot.”

Emma laughed breathlessly, her hand coming to rest on Alyssa’s waist over the top of the sheets.

“You’re wondering if I’m regretting it,” Alyssa noted.

“Are you?”

“Never,” Alyssa said, bringing her hand up to the back of Emma’s neck. Her fingers played with the hairs there, and it instantly helped Emma to relax. “Are you? Regretting it, I mean.”

“No,” Emma said immediately. “It’s just… last night felt too good to be true, and I guess I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop and for you to decide you didn’t want this right now after all.”

“Emma, I meant what I said in the dressing room last night,” Alyssa said softly, pressing a lingering kiss to her lips.

“What made you change your mind about us?” Emma wrapped her arm around Alyssa’s waist, pulling her a little closer.

Alyssa brushed her nose against Emma’s. “Because I love you too much to pretend that I could keep going the way things were.”

They both froze at the same time, Alyssa’s fingers stilling their movements as she moved her head back to look at Emma with wide eyes.

“That was too soon,” she said, her forehead creasing with worry. “I’m sorry, maybe I should’ve waited to—”

Emma kissed her softly, screwing her eyes shut to try and stop herself from crying. When she pulled back, she rested her forehead against Alyssa’s. “I thought we were done with waiting.”

“Em…”

“I love you,” Emma whispered, her lower lip trembling. “Alyssa, I’m in love with you.”

Alyssa sobbed roughly, burrowing into Emma’s arms. Sparks shot through Emma’s insides at the feeling of their naked bodies pressed together in the morning light, but she pushed it to the back of her mind in favor of stroking Alyssa’s back and pressing kisses into her hair. Relieved tears spilled down her cheeks and she clutched Alyssa tightly, never wanting to let go.

“I’ve been so scared,” Alyssa said after a long while, her voice a little muffled in Emma’s neck. “I didn’t think you felt the same, even after we talked on Sunday I didn’t think you were on the same page and I—”

“Shh,” Emma soothed, pulling her head back and tilting Alyssa’s chin up to meet her eyes. “I was scared, too. It’s okay.”

“I love you,” Alyssa said, tension visibly disappearing from her as she said it. “And if you’ll have me, I’m going to keep on saying it.”

“Are you—are you asking—”

“Be my girlfriend?” Alyssa asked softly.

Emma leaned down and kissed her. “Yes.”

“Yes?” Alyssa’s eyes lit up. “Oh my God.”

“It was always going to be a yes,” Emma told her. “No matter how long it took.”

Alyssa sighed happily. “To think I could’ve gotten my head out of my ass that much sooner.”

“Yeah, but then I’m not really sure if we would’ve been _us_,” Emma pointed out.

“Hm. You’re not wrong,” Alyssa said, cuddling into her again. “Speaking of _us_, do we tell anyone?”

“Up to you,” Emma said. “Although, it might be a good idea to keep it private until after the final.”

Alyssa just grinned up at her.

“What?”

“You said ‘final’,” she said. “As in, you think we’re going to be in the final.”

Emma shrugged, her cheeks flushing. “Well, you’ve been thinking it from day one. According to Shelby, anyway.”

“I should’ve known she’d talk,” Alyssa said, but she didn’t look put out in the slightest. “And I think you’re right. Let’s keep it between us for now. It’s our thing, after all, not anyone else’s.”

“Ours,” Emma confirmed. “I like the sound of that.”

* * *

Alyssa glanced around the dressing room to make sure nobody was coming in before pressing a quick kiss to Emma’s lips. “It was unfair of them to put us back in our Tango costumes for the elimination show.”

“You’re telling me,” Emma groaned. “That dress is sinful.”

“So are these,” Alyssa smirked, tugging on Emma’s suspenders. Emma stumbled forwards, off-balance, and they both laughed breathlessly.

“Maybe I should buy some,” Emma said. “For black tie events and other such special occasions, of course.”

Alyssa moaned quietly and kissed Emma again, harder this time. “Don’t even joke about that.”

She pulled back and wiped some of her lipstick from the corner of Emma’s mouth. And not a moment too soon, because suddenly the door opened, and Hayden and Shelby stepped in. Alyssa tried to look like she hadn’t just been considering pushing Emma against the wall and testing out the slit in her dress, instead clearing her throat and smiling brightly at her friends.

“Hi.”

Shelby narrowed her eyes at her, but didn’t say anything. “Okay, sure. Three minutes until we go live, ladies.”

“Shit, you’re right,” Alyssa said. “Let’s go, Em.”

She dragged Emma – who was barely containing her laughter – out of the dressing room and down the hall towards the backstage area. Emma linked their hands together, making Alyssa’s stomach flip.

“Do you think they know?”

“Hayden? No,” Alyssa said immediately. “Shelby? Honestly, I have no idea.”

“She won’t say anything, though, right?” Emma asked. “We don’t want people finding out and thinking we’re pulling a Nick and Kaylee.”

“She won’t say anything, if she knows,” Alyssa promised. “She might be a shit to us for fun, but she won’t say anything.”

“Okay,” Emma said, relaxing again.

They went through the motions of the show, and Alyssa just hoped for a quick relief. But since there were only six couples left, Tom and Trent were really dragging out the suspense to fill the timeslot, so no such luck.

“The first couple through to next week’s semi-final is…” Tom began. “Carrie and Elliott!”

Alyssa smiled as she watched Carrie punch the air. She felt Emma’s nose brush her hair from behind, and she tightened her fingers in her hair. Emma’s arms were strong around her waist, holding her even closer than she usually did, and Alyssa loved it. She loved _Emma_.

“The next couple dancing again is…” Trent drew his pause out for even longer than Tom had. Alyssa wondered if they were having a competition. “Emma and Alyssa!”

And although she’d been confident in their chances, hearing that made Alyssa more relieved than she could’ve ever imagined. Emma dropped her head to rest on Alyssa’s shoulder, waiting until their spotlight went out to press a gentle kiss to the place where it met her neck. Alyssa shivered, turning in her arms to hug her properly.

Everything got a little harder after that, though, because it was Noah and Hayden who were eliminated. Alyssa worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she stood at the edge of the floor, watching as Noah and Hayden had their final dance and then rushing in with the other competitors to share her commiserations with them. Kevin hugged his sister tightly, sibling rivalry forgotten.

Emma’s hand found hers in the crowd, squeezing like she had countless times before, and Alyssa smiled. On the outside, nothing had changed. Behind closed doors, however…

Things couldn’t be more different.

* * *

**vote emlyssa **@letsgolesbians: not the pint sized powerhouses :(

**jojo is tired **@dwtstans: dare i say… i think i see what you’re all talking about with emma and alyssa

**alice **@wooloowoo: @dwtstans ITS A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE WELCOME TO THE BANDWAGON 

**leigh **@alyssanolan: does something seem different about emlyssa or is it just me?

**not kara **@emmagreene: @alyssanolan its not just you

**hoe **@timewives: oh fuck oh piss oh shit betsy just retweeted the poll

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there be softness ahead (and spice)
> 
> 'iconic' charleston they perform - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8YIYFHXEyw
> 
> enjoy!!
> 
> ALSO I REALIZED I HAD 2 EMMA POV SCENES IN A ROW LAST CHAPTER SO I WENT BACK AND ADDED AN ALYSSA ONE BETWEEN THE SEX SCENE AND THE MORNING AFTER SCENE SO CHECK THAT OUT IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY OKAY BYE

Chapter Nine: Semi-finals Week

* * *

**i wasn’t looking where i was going / i fell into your eyes**

* * *

“So, we’re dancing two new routines again next week?” Emma asked, sitting in a recently vacated audience seat not long after they’d gone off-air. Noah and Hayden were dancing to an upbeat song in the middle of the floor along with most of the pro dancers. They were having fun, and Emma watched them with a sad smile on her face. She was really going to miss those two.

“Yep,” Alyssa said, her leg pressed against Emma’s in the seat next to her. She was still in her red dress, and Emma was doing her absolute best not to get distracted by that fact. “There’s the Paso Doble, which I’m going to be choreographing, and then you have to choose an ‘iconic’ past routine for our other dance.”

Emma watched her make the air quotes with her fingers. “No pressure, then. What’s the other dance style? Or do I have to trawl through every single dance of every season?”

“Charleston,” Alyssa said. “Honestly, just search it on YouTube tonight and you’ll find some good ones. We can start learning both tomorrow.”

“Does this mean you’re not coming over tonight?” Emma asked, trying and failing to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

Alyssa looked over at her with a soft look in her eyes. “You want me to come over?”

“Of course I do,” Emma said, blinking in confusion at the implication that she wouldn’t. “I always want you to come over. Falling asleep with you… I wouldn’t trade that for the world.”

“Promise you won’t get sick of me?” Alyssa asked, biting her lip. “I know we spend practically all day together anyway.”

“Alyssa, I meant it when I said that you’re welcome in my home anytime,” Emma said softly, reaching out to take her hand. “And, selfishly, I love having you there. And not just because of, you know, last night.”

Emma felt her cheeks flush with heat at the memories, but she wanted Alyssa to know that she’d loved spending time with her in her apartment, and falling asleep with her, before sex had been a part of the equation. She wanted to remind Alyssa that she was in love with her, even if she was cautious about saying it where they could be overheard.

“Okay,” Alyssa said quietly, a smile on her face. “I’ll give you some time to find a routine while I go home and change into some fresh clothes, and then I’ll drive over to yours.”

“Sounds perfect,” Emma said, rubbing her thumb over the back of Alyssa’s hand. She turned her attention back to the others. “Wanna go dance with everyone?”

“Yeah,” Alyssa said. She grasped Emma’s hand tightly as she stood. God, she looked beautiful. “Shall we?”

Emma resisted the urge to kiss her, but only just. “Lead the way.”

* * *

Alyssa woke up the next morning warm and comfortable. Even before she opened her eyes, she could feel Emma’s bare back pressed softly against her front, and it made her smile. This was so much better than waking up alone in her own apartment. Alyssa opened her eyes, immediately confronted by a mop of blonde hair directly in front of her.

Reaching behind her for her phone, Alyssa checked the time, seeing that she had an hour or so before she had to leave for the first pro rehearsal of the week. Rehearsal started at ten today, which Alyssa was immensely grateful for, because it meant that she didn’t have to rush.

Still, she should probably get up.

Alyssa pressed a kiss to Emma’s shoulder, just because she could, and carefully rolled away from her and out of bed. She pulled on some fresh underwear from the bag she’d brought last night, but the shirt she’d packed didn’t really look that appealing. Instead, her eyes landed on the oversized shirt that Emma had been wearing when she’d arrived last night – but had been devoid of fairly quickly – and she decided that it was a much better option. She pulled the t shirt over her head, inhaling deeply. It smelled like Emma.

Deciding to wait for Emma to wake up before she asked if she could use the shower, Alyssa took one last look back before she left the bedroom. Emma was still fast asleep, on her side; her hair was a mess and her face was relaxed as she slept on. Alyssa bit her lip, blinking back the sudden tears that sprang to her eyes, because she couldn’t quite believe that she was finally able to call Emma hers.

The heating had come on overnight, so Alyssa didn’t feel that cold as she left the warmth of Emma’s bed behind her and made her way through to the kitchen. She smiled to herself as she gathered the ingredients she wanted, pleased to find that not only did Emma have everything she needed for pancakes, but that she was now familiar enough with Emma’s kitchen to know where everything was.

When she had five pancakes made with enough batter for another three left in the mixing bowl, Alyssa became aware of Emma’s presence behind her. Emma didn’t say anything, or make any real noise as she approached, but Alyssa knew she was there.

“Good morning,” she said, keeping her eyes on the stove in front of her.

“Morning, Lys,” Emma said, her voice raspy from sleep. It made Alyssa shiver, especially when she felt Emma’s arms wrap around her waist from behind a second later. “You stole my shirt.”

“You weren’t using it,” Alyssa said, biting back a grin.

She leaned her head against Emma’s, whose chin was perched on her shoulder, feeling butterflies erupt in her stomach at their proximity. Emma brushed her lips against the side of her neck in a featherlight kiss, and Alyssa’s eyes fluttered closed for a second. Her heart felt like it might burst out of her chest.

“You made us breakfast?” Emma’s voice was soft.

“No, these are all for me,” Alyssa joked. “Yes, I made us breakfast. I hope you don’t mind me going through your stuff in here.”

Emma hummed in her ear. “Feel free.”

Alyssa flipped the pancake, letting herself melt back into Emma’s embrace after. They stayed like that until the batter had run out, and the finished pancakes were split between two plates. It meant that they didn’t have any coffee ready, but Alyssa just reasoned that she’d get one on the way to rehearsal. Emma’s arms had been too comfortable to consider leaving before she had to.

Once she turned the heat off, Emma immediately reached around to cup her face and draw her into a kiss. Alyssa knew why she’d waited, because as soon as she started kissing Emma, she would’ve been distracted from anything she’d been doing. And she didn’t particularly want to have cremated their breakfast.

“I love you,” Emma sighed against her lips, pulling back from the kiss but staying close. Alyssa couldn’t help but kiss her again, firmer this time. She wondered if hearing those words fall from Emma’s lips would always make her feel like this; giddy and like her insides were simmering with heat. She had a sneaking suspicion that it would.

She turned in Emma’s arms, breaking the kiss but wrapping her arms around her neck to keep her close. “I love you, too.”

Emma beamed at her, looking surprisingly awake. “How is this my life right now?”

“I’ve been wondering the same thing for the past thirty-eight hours,” Alyssa said, rolling her eyes at herself. “Actually, I’ve kind of been wondering it since we met.”

“Yeah?” Emma’s nose scrunched adorably. Her stomach growled, making them both laugh. “Okay. Breakfast now; emotions later.”

Alyssa grinned, pressing one last quick kiss to Emma’s mouth before they disentangled themselves and took the plates through to sit down at the table. Emma was dressed in another t shirt and a pair of boxers, her glasses perched a little haphazardly on her nose and her hair just as messy as it had been when Alyssa had gotten up. Alyssa thought she was breath-taking.

“So,” Alyssa said, once she started slowing down halfway through the stack of pancakes. “You never told me what routine you ended up picking.”

“I was distracted,” Emma said simply, which made Alyssa blush. To be fair, she had pretty much jumped Emma five minutes after arriving. “But, uh, I found one that I liked. And that I think I could do.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, it was to _Shame on Me_,” Emma said, taking another bite of her food.

Alyssa almost choked on hers. “By Avicii?”

“Uh huh,” Emma said, her forehead creasing slightly. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Alyssa said, quick to reassure her. “It’s just… I chose an Avicii song for our Paso, too.”

Emma started laughing. “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” Alyssa nodded, her shoulders starting to shake from holding in her own laughter. “Wait, are we _that _couple?”

“God, I think we are,” Emma said, biting her lip and looking at Alyssa with so much adoration that it made her melt. “What song?”

“_Addicted to You_.”

“Oh,” Emma said. “Any particular reason?”

Alyssa smirked at her, shrugging a shoulder. “If the band give it some more bass, I think it’ll have the right sort of energy.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“No,” Alyssa said, her voice turning soft. Emma seemed to understand what she was saying, if the bashful look on her face was any indication. “No, it wasn’t.”

* * *

“Earth to Emma Nolan?”

“What?” Emma jumped, tearing her mind away from thoughts of Alyssa wearing her t shirt and not much else, as she’d taken to doing for the past two days. She blinked, Carrie’s amused face swimming into focus right in front of her. “Sorry, I thought you were skating.”

“I was,” Carrie said. “But then I decided to come over and talk to my friend, only she has her head in the clouds and a dopey grin on her face.”

Emma blushed. “Do not.”

“Sure thing,” Carrie said, stepping off the ice and sitting down on a nearby bench. “You gonna tell me what’s got you so distracted?”

“I’m not distracted,” Emma lied, scoffing and shoving her hands in her jacket pockets. “You’re distracted.”

Carrie just looked at her. “You are so bad at this.”

“I know,” Emma sighed, closing her eyes. “Sorry, I can’t tell you.”

“That’s okay,” Carrie said, tilting her head slightly to the side as she looked at her. “I’m pretty good at figuring things out for myself anyway.”

“Right.”

“I won’t tell anyone about you and Alyssa,” Carrie promised, her voice low.

Emma choked. “I don’t know what—”

“Don’t even try that with me,” Carrie said, laughing shortly. “I won’t try and make you admit to anything, Emma, but you should really start covering up those hickeys on your neck even when you’re not going to be on TV. Never know who might be watching.”

“Oh God,” Emma said, slapping a hand to her neck with wide eyes, because sure, she and Alyssa had both been careful to cover up their various marks with makeup on Tuesday, but she hadn’t even thought about… “The paparazzi.”

“Hey,” Carrie said reassuringly. “If they knew anything, it would be all over the internet by now. Just be careful going forward.”

“Yeah,” Emma said, turning up the collar of her jacket, just in case there happened to be a camera waiting for her when she left the rink, for some reason. “I guess I’m just not used to them taking an interest in me. It’s weird.”

“Well, I think you definitely qualify as a celebrity now,” Carrie said. “And a role model to a bunch of LGBTQ youth out there.”

“You really think so?”

“I do,” Carrie said. “What you and Alyssa have been doing on the show? It’s been making a difference. And even if Alyssa’s not _out_, I think people kind of know. She didn’t have to tell me, at any rate.”

Emma blushed again, looking down at her feet. “All we wanted to do was make a difference. To just be us, no matter what the higher-ups at the network said.”

“That’s really great, Emma,” Carrie said, smiling genuinely at her. “And… you look happy.”

“I am,” Emma said, biting her bottom lip in an effort to stop her smile from getting too wide.

“And not just because you’re in the semi-finals.”

“Fuck, I’m in the semi-finals,” Emma said, freezing as the realization fully hit her.

Carrie beamed at her. “Didn’t I tell you that you could do anything?”

“You did,” Emma admitted reluctantly. “The first time you ever spoke to me. I just still don’t really know how I got this far.”

“Because you’re a good dancer,” Carrie said simply. “You’ve improved probably the most out of anyone, and what’s more, you’re likeable. People want to root for you and Alyssa.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen the stuff on twitter—”

“Not just like that,” Carrie said, waving a hand dismissively. “Sure, some of them have wanted you to fall in love from the outset, but mostly I think everyone loves how genuine you two are. There’s no pretense with you.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Emma joked. “The closer we get to the final, the more intense the competition gets.”

Carrie rolled her eyes fondly. “You’re still my friend Emma. Even if I am going to crush you on my journey to the Mirrorball trophy.”

“That’s more like it.”

“Really, though,” Carrie said. “I know you can’t say anything. But I have the overwhelming feeling that something good finally happened between you and Alyssa. And I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks,” Emma murmured, biting back a retort about how what happened had been better than _good_, which wouldn’t have helped her case. “I should, um, get going. Rehearsal soon, and all that. It’s being filmed today, so I should probably go home and get some makeup and…”

“Okay, then,” Carrie said, smirking and reaching forward to lightly smack the back of her hand against Emma’s arm. “See you on the ice, Nolan. Figuratively speaking, of course.”

* * *

Alyssa thought Thursday was an unfair day to film rehearsals on, especially seeing as they were splitting their time between two separate dances. And yet, the minimal camera crew were here, so she was trying her best to answer their questions in her interview.

“How are you finding teaching the two contrasting styles of dance?”

“Well, it’s almost better that they’re so different,” Alyssa reasoned, “because then there’s less chance of getting confused between the two. Charleston is fun and light and playful, whereas Paso is intense and serious and kind of arrogant. If we’re trying to put swivel in a Paso Doble, then we’ve gone very badly wrong.”

Behind the camera, Emma cracked a smile.

“How’s the process so far?”

“Great, considering its only day two,” Alyssa said pointedly. “Especially the Charleston, which is the one Emma picked for our ‘iconic’ routine.”

“Okay, amazing,” the man interviewing her said. “Shall we move on to the rehearsal itself?”

Alyssa barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “That would be great.”

They ran through the Charleston first, which seemed like the safer option. There were a couple of tricks in the routine, including an assisted flip for Alyssa, that they hadn’t really put in yet. That would come once the camera crew left, because Alyssa didn’t want that kind of pressure on Emma. The run-through of the Charleston went pretty well, with Alyssa only having to stop and restart the music a few times when Emma made a mistake. She could see that Emma was a little stressed about it.

“You’re good,” she said reassuringly, when Emma swore under her breath as she botched a step.

“Sorry.”

“Em, it’s okay,” Alyssa said. She went to reach for Emma’s hands, like she so often did, but then she hesitated. The camera crew were there. What if she was being too obvious that her and Emma were together? They’d agreed to keep it quiet for the time being. She dropped her hands to her sides and went to restart the song. “Let’s try it again.”

It was when they switched to the Paso that things got difficult for Alyssa.

The Paso Doble was indeed an intense dance, not dissimilar in mood to the previous week’s Argentine Tango, which made it hard to concentrate on anything but the way dancing with Emma like this always made her feel. And especially with her being so aware of the camera following their every move, it was getting even more difficult to act like she didn’t know _exactly _how Emma could move her body.

Emma, too, seemed a little unsure of where the line now was. Part of it could probably be explained away by the routine still being fairly new to her, but Alyssa could see the uncertainty in her eyes when the choreo required her to grab the back of Alyssa’s neck and pull her close.

After what felt like an eternity, the crew left, and then it was just the two of them.

“Do you wanna take five?” Alyssa asked.

Emma cleared her throat, still looking at the door almost like she was expecting them to come back. “Sure.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Emma said quickly. “Everything’s fine. It’s just…”

“Emma,” Alyssa said, taking a little step closer.

“I don’t know how to act around you when we’re dancing now,” Emma admitted. “It was easier yesterday because it was more about learning the steps… but now we’re putting it all together with the performance element, and I don’t—I don’t know what’s appropriate.”

“Well, we probably shouldn’t start making out against the wall again,” Alyssa said slowly. Emma drew in a sharp breath.

“You’re probably right.”

“But I do know what you mean,” Alyssa said with a sigh, sinking down to sit cross-legged on the floor. “This is all really new for me, too. Dancing in front of a camera with you isn’t, but so much has changed since the last time we were filmed dancing.”

“Yeah,” Emma said, sitting down beside her. “As much as I think we fooled them so far, we still have to be comfortable dancing together.”

“Well, I guess we can just act like normal when it’s just us in here,” Alyssa reasoned, reaching out to tangle her fingers with Emma’s. “Our relationship and our dancing _are _kind of linked.”

“Yeah, last week’s Tango was…” Emma trailed off, her expression suddenly turning unfocused.

“Speak for yourself, it was the Jive that really turned me on,” Alyssa joked, laughing at the look on Emma’s face. “Seriously, though. Can we just… be ourselves in here? When nobody’s watching.”

Emma nodded, covering their joined hands with her other one and tracing patterns on the back of Alyssa’s hand. “Does this mean I don’t have to worry about touching you while we’re dancing and overstepping professional boundaries?”

“It does,” she confirmed. “But, at the same time, we actually do have to practise. We’ve got a competition to win, after all.”

“Obviously,” Emma said with a grin. She pressed her lips to Alyssa’s knuckles and stood up. Alyssa got to her feet, too, swaying closer and simply enjoying Emma’s proximity like she hadn’t let herself do in the rehearsal so far.

They resumed their dancing, and found that everything was actually running a lot smoother now that they had talked. Emma seemed more confident in her movements, and Alyssa didn’t have to worry about crossing a line when she wrapped her arms around Emma’s body in a hug after she finally got a step she’d been struggling with.

They spent a good chunk of time learning the assisted backflip in the Charleston, because Alyssa knew that Emma wanted to have it perfect and as safe as it could be. She trusted Emma completely, but it was still nice to have the peace of mind. The first time they got it right, and Alyssa landed without so much as a wobble, Emma picked her up and spun her around in celebration.

“You got it!” Alyssa laughed into her neck, feeling like she was falling even more in love.

Emma set her down, grinning brightly like she couldn’t quite believe it even though she herself had landed a slightly easier version of this move in competition just three days ago. Drawn in by the look on her face, Alyssa couldn’t help but lean forwards and kiss her.

She pulled back after a couple of seconds, opening her eyes to see Emma’s still closed. A smile tugged at her lips. “Very professional,” Emma teased.

“Shut up,” Alyssa said, her cheeks growing warm. “You were being cute and I wanted to kiss you. Besides, that was hardly making out, so I think it’s fair.”

“Believe me, I’m more than okay with kisses as a form of reward,” Emma said, her eyes opening and meeting Alyssa’s with a soft look behind them.

Alyssa shrugged, keeping her close. “Well, I might have a few other ideas for later if you really _nail _the steps.”

Emma’s mouth fell open. “Then we’d better get back to rehearsing.”

* * *

“Baby, you’ve got to go to rehearsal,” Emma said, although she honestly didn’t want Alyssa to let her go.

Alyssa huffed into her ear as they swayed around the kitchen. “But I’m dancing right now, so do they really need me?”

“Yes, they definitely do,” Emma laughed, kissing her on the cheek. “You’re showered, you’re dressed, you’re ready to go. So why not go?”

“Because maybe I want to get undressed again,” Alyssa said, pulling her head back to smirk at her.

“Alyssa, if you start taking your clothes off you know I’ll be powerless to make you go,” Emma groaned. “Besides, I thought you hated being late to pro rehearsal.”

“I do,” Alyssa admitted, stilling them both. “Yeah, I really do have to go.”

“I’ll see you at one,” Emma promised. “I’ll even pick up lunch on my way to the studio.”

“You’re the best,” Alyssa said. “Especially because I know how much you’d rather be sleeping right now.”

“I will admit, dating a morning person comes with its challenges,” Emma said lightly.

Alyssa snorted, bumping their shoulders together gently as she went to retrieve her dance bag. Emma walked through her apartment towards the door, ready to see her off, but something caught her eye as she passed the window. She peered through it, standing off to the side, and felt ice flood her veins as she registered what she was looking at.

“Lys, there’s a guy with a camera outside the complex.”

“What?” Alyssa’s footsteps got closer, until Emma could feel her right behind her. “Oh my God, there is.”

“Why is he here? Doesn’t he have anything better to do on a Friday morning?” Emma furrowed her brow.

Alyssa groaned. “I think he’s waiting to see if I leave your place.”

“Shit,” Emma muttered. “I think you’re right. It’s pretty common knowledge that the pros are the only ones with morning rehearsals.”

“What do we do?”

“I don’t know,” Emma said, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. The last thing she wanted was for Alyssa to be harassed on her way to work. Even if she would be protected by her car, which was currently residing in one of the guest spots in the complex’s parking garage. “Wait. There’s a back way out of the place.”

“That could work,” Alyssa said thoughtfully. “I could just call an Uber or a Lyft or something instead of taking my car.”

“I’ll walk you down,” Emma said, grabbing her key and slipping her shoes on. “Fucking paparazzi.”

“It’ll be okay,” Alyssa said, carefully making her way to the front door. “He’ll be in for a shock when it’s just you leaving in a few hours.”

“Maybe we aren’t hiding it as well as we thought,” Emma mused, letting them both out and leading the way to the back entrance. “Or maybe it was just a lucky guess.”

“It might be worth contacting security,” Alyssa said. “Even just to piss this guy off.”

“Good idea,” Emma said. She checked that the coast was clear before escorting Alyssa outside. “You got a ride?”

Alyssa turned her phone to face Emma. “Two minutes away.”

“Okay,” Emma said. “I should probably go back inside, just in case anyone else is watching from their windows or something.”

“God, this is so weird,” Alyssa said. “The twitter poll as to whether or not we’ve had sex seems normal by comparison.”

Emma choked. “The what?”

“Your grandma retweeted it,” Alyssa said, grinning at Emma’s reaction. “I think she probably voted on it.”

“Jesus Christ,” Emma managed. “I knew there was a reason I’ve been avoiding social media the past few days.”

“A lot of it’s actually hilarious,” Alyssa said. “And it makes me wonder if I actually need to come out officially. Everyone already seems to know I’m gay.”

Emma thought back to what Carrie had said. “Maybe. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still do what you want with regards to that.”

“True,” Alyssa said, appearing to consider it for a moment before shaking her head. “Anyway. I’ll see you later.”

“Okay,” Emma said. “I’m gonna go mess with camera guy.”

“Have fun, babe,” Alyssa said.

Emma wanted to kiss her so badly, but instead she just brushed a finger over the back of Alyssa’s hand as she turned to go back into the building. God, pretending to not be dating Alyssa was already proving harder than she’d initially thought.

Once she was back inside her apartment, Emma fished her phone out of her pocket and stood just to the side of her window. She opened the Instagram app and added to her story, filming the man lying in wait.

“And here, gentle viewers, we see a nosey little creature in his natural habitat,” Emma narrated. “Invading the privacy of others. But in this situation, the watcher has become the watched.”

She uploaded the story, laughing a little to herself as she did so, before scrolling through her contacts and putting the phone up to her ear.

“Hey, Sam? There’s a guy with a camera outside the complex. Just thought it might give you something fun to do if you’re bored.”

* * *

**kara {stream sword} **@emmasnolans: wow like ik we joke around but waiting outside emmas place just to try and catch alyssa?? idc if its his job thats too far

**freddie **@sapphicsamba: all that aside can we appreciate emma’s narrator voice

**hoe **@timewives: like we ALL know alyssa was there we didnt need a pap to tell us that

**ocean **@zazzhands: @timewives yeah but nowadays its all PICS OR IT DIDNT HAPPEN

**leigh **@alyssanolan: keep! the! wilding! to! this! hellsite! and! this! hellsite! only!

* * *

“Have Kaylee and Shelby talked yet?” Emma whispered in her ear, as they arrived at Kevin’s place.

“Not as far as I know,” Alyssa murmured back, looping her arm through Emma’s and enjoying the last few moments before they had to act like they were just friends again.

“Great, so this isn’t going to be awkward at all,” Emma mused.

Alyssa shrugged, bumping their shoulders together before she let go of her and knocked on Kevin’s door. “I figured if they’ve put up with us being idiots, we can do the same for them.”

“I guess that’s fair.”

“Hey, at least we’re getting pizza out of it,” Alyssa pointed out, just as the door opened and they were faced with a grinning Kevin.

“Welcome, guys,” he said, stepping aside to let them in. “You’re the last ones, so we can get straight to ordering if you want?”

“Please,” Shelby groaned from her place on the floor. “I’m so hungry.”

“Sorry,” Alyssa said hurriedly. “We came straight from rehearsal and it ran a little longer than expected.”

Shelby raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I bet it did.”

“Anyway,” Jules interrupted. “We’re all here now, so let’s order.”

Kaylee beckoned the two of them over, sitting on the end of Kevin’s couch. Alyssa sat down next to her, with Emma on her other side – although she left a respectable distance between them. Alyssa wrapped her arms around Kaylee in a quick hug, noting the bags under her eyes. Her heart went out to her friend; clearly Shelby wasn’t the only one this was really affecting.

“How are you?” she asked lowly, knowing it was a stupid question as soon as she said it, but rationalizing that Kaylee may not want to talk about it. “We haven’t really spoken much since that one lunch.”

“Yeah, that… feels like years ago,” Kaylee said quietly. “Can we talk tomorrow? At camera blocking rehearsal?”

“Sure,” Alyssa said, relieved that Kaylee at least seemed to want to reach out. “Alone, or…”

“No, it might be best if I can get Emma’s opinion on it, too,” Kaylee said. Alyssa glanced out of the corner of her eye, seeing and hearing Emma very deliberately engaging Jules in conversation so as not to eavesdrop. She didn’t even look in Shelby’s direction for fear Shelby would think they were talking about her.

“Okay,” Alyssa said. “Of course.”

Once the pizza arrived and a movie had been put on, the tension in the room eased slightly. And maybe they were all idiots for eating pizza late on a Saturday night less than two days before the show and staying up late when they were already exhausted, but Alyssa loved her friends, and she wouldn’t have missed this for the world. Especially seeing as, when Kevin had told her about this hangout, he’d invited Emma, too.

Alyssa was a little surprised to see that Emma was the only celeb partner here, though. She’d kind of expected to see Winnie, or maybe even Marcus. But at least it meant her friends liked Emma, which was very important to her.

Alyssa was pressed against Emma on the couch, her eyes half-closed as a result of the big meal and the warm blankets they were all under. Kaylee was on her other side still, and Jules had squashed on the end of the couch. Shelby was in the armchair, and Kevin was lying on the floor in front of the television, engrossed in whatever _Star Wars _movie was playing. Alyssa was too full and too sleepy to really figure out which one it was.

She dropped her head onto Emma’s shoulder, seeing Shelby sending what she probably thought were subtle looks in Kaylee’s direction. She didn’t know if Kaylee was looking back, but Shelby looked uncomfortable. Alyssa didn’t know what to do. She closed her eyes, shifting slightly to get more comfortable against Emma’s side, and felt Emma’s arm wrap around her shoulders.

“You have got to be kidding me,” she heard Shelby say with a scoff.

“What?” Kevin asked.

There was silence for a while, and Alyssa assumed that Shelby was probably pointing something out to Kevin, because he suddenly made a noise of understanding. Alyssa felt Emma tense slightly, and she guessed that Shelby’s words had been to do with them. But right now, she was too tired to care.

“Do you wanna go?” Emma whispered, a while later as the movie wrapped up. Alyssa nodded sleepily, and Emma raised her voice a little. “I think we’re gonna go. Long day tomorrow, and all.”

“I’m glad you came,” Kevin said, sounding genuine, which made Alyssa smile.

“Me too,” Emma said. “It was great to spend more time with you guys.”

“Well, you’re very important to Sleeping Beauty here,” Jules said.

Emma laughed a little timidly, and Alyssa just knew she was fighting down a blush. “Come on, Alyssa, let’s get you home.”

“Don’t wanna walk,” Alyssa mumbled, hoping that by ‘home’, Emma meant her place.

“Not even to the car?”

Shelby spoke up. “I’m sure Emma will carry you if you ask her nicely. I’m assuming you came in the same car, by the way, since Alyssa likes to leave hers in random places overnight.”

“Shut up, Shelby,” Alyssa said, not bothering to open her eyes even as it registered that Shelby knew about her leaving her car in the lot the night she and Emma had gotten together.

“No, thanks. I like talking.”

“You sure about that?” Alyssa didn’t think about the words she was saying until they were already out there. She sucked in a breath, praying that Kaylee didn’t understand what she was getting at. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes and got to her feet. Because as appealing as being carried by Emma sounded, it probably wouldn’t help with the act they were putting on.

She met Kaylee’s eyes as she left, trying to convey with her own expression that she remembered her promise of a talk the next day. Kaylee smiled briefly at her, throwing a furtive look at Shelby, who had her eyes fixed on Emma and Alyssa with a scrutinizing look on her face. God, she hoped this mess worked itself out.

Preferably before it had the potential to implode their friendship group.

* * *

Emma’s phone rang, and she growled in frustration against Alyssa’s skin.

“Who’s calling you this early?” Alyssa asked breathlessly. “And can you tell them to call back later so we can continue with wherever this was headed just now?”

“Let me check, it could be important,” Emma sighed, pressing one last kiss to Alyssa’s collarbone before propping herself above her girlfriend on one hand and reaching over to grab her phone from the bedside table. Her eyes widened. “It’s my grandma.”

“Oh, God,” Alyssa laughed. “Yeah, you should take that call.”

Emma pouted. “But we were—”

“Em, baby, you really don’t want to ignore her,” Alyssa said. “Trust me. Parents and grandparents always know when they’re interrupting.”

“I don’t think I want to know how you know that,” Emma said, scrunching her face up and reluctantly rolling off of Alyssa. She pulled the sheets up to cover her as she sat up in bed, just because she felt like she should, and kept her eyes firmly away from Alyssa’s naked body as she answered her phone. “Hey, gran.”

“Hi, sweetie,” Betsy said. “Sorry if I just woke you up. You sound a little hoarse.”

“That’s okay,” Emma said hurriedly, clearing her throat. “I need to be at the studios soon for my dumb spray tan, anyway.”

She heard Alyssa snort from next to her, and resisted the urge to reach over and shove her. Instead, she focused on the conversation at hand.

“Good luck with that, honey,” Betsy laughed. “And break a leg these next few days. I figured you’d be flat out busy until the show, so I just wanted to call and check in with you while I had the chance.”

Emma softened, feeling a little less annoyed at being interrupted. “Thank you. I’m doing okay. Great, actually.”

“I was so proud of you in last week’s show,” her grandma said. Emma saw Alyssa move out of the corner of her eye – throwing a t shirt on and mouthing the word ‘shower’ at her – probably wanting to give her some privacy. Emma nodded, biting her lip as Alyssa walked away and trying to listen as Betsy continued. “I really do think you can win this whole thing, Emma.”

“Honest?”

“Cross my heart,” Betsy said. “And I wish I could come to the final in person, but my neighbors and I are having a watch party, which apparently is the next best thing.”

“Whatever happens in the final, if we get to the final, I’d probably be too emotional to be much use to you anyway,” Emma admitted.

“Make sure Alyssa’s taking care of you, then.”

Emma nearly choked, but managed to pass it off as a cough. “I will.”

* * *

Alyssa slumped in Emma’s grip. “Ready for one more round?”

“I might pass out, but okay,” Emma gasped, trying to catch her breath.

“You got this,” Alyssa said, more as an affirmation to both of them than anything else. She looked down from the top of the staircase set piece, seeing the cameras pointing their way as they’d hit their final pose on their second Charleston run-through – fifth overall run-through – and sighed. Doing the Charleston _after _the Paso was definitely worse. She knew that both she and Emma were in good shape, but maybe last night’s pizza really hadn’t been the best idea.

“Let’s go again,” a crew member said, and Alyssa cursed the fact that both their starting and ending positions had to be on top of this damn flight of stairs. She looked at Emma, who puffed out her cheeks and straightened her spine. Alyssa took a deep breath and righted herself, moving so that she was standing almost back to back with Emma.

The drum kicked in, and Alyssa put her game face on.

After they were free to go, all Alyssa wanted to do was collapse in a heap somewhere in a corner of the studio, but she could see Kaylee waiting on the edge of the dance floor. Since Kaylee had only been needed to block one of Carrie and Elliott’s dances, along with a few of the other eliminated pros and troupe members, her day was done and Alyssa didn’t want to keep her waiting unnecessarily. Especially since Shelby wouldn’t be performing until last and wasn’t here yet, it would actually be the perfect time to have this talk that Alyssa suspected was so desperately needed. So, she led Emma over to where Kaylee was waiting.

“Where do you want to go?” she asked, putting a hand over her chest and feeling her heart rate slowing down pretty quickly after the exertion of the dancing was over.

“I can’t get over how quick your recovery time is,” Kaylee marvelled, crossing her arms over her chest and walking to the back row of chairs on the ground floor level.

“Me neither,” Emma commented.

Alyssa fought down a blush, because she just knew that there was a certain look behind Emma’s eyes right now, even without having to turn around. Luckily, Kaylee seemed too wrapped up in her own head to notice. Alyssa sent Emma a playful glare as they sat, one either side of Kaylee.

“So,” Alyssa started, a little gingerly. “What was it that you wanted to talk about exactly?”

Kaylee looked at her, and then at Emma – who nodded encouragingly at her – before returning her gaze to her hands. “Shelby.”

“Okay,” Emma said gently. “Whenever you’re comfortable.”

“I just—” Kaylee sighed, keeping her eyes down. “I never thought about her like… like that. And I didn’t think she thought about me like that, either. I’m not freaked out or anything, she’s my best friend and I love her no matter what, but… I just can’t stop thinking about all the pain I’ve been causing her with the whole fake dating thing and stuff.”

“You didn’t know,” Alyssa said.

“I should have been able to figure it out,” Kaylee whispered. “She was hurting so bad and I didn’t even know why. And then at lunch when she said it… she looked so scared.”

“She didn’t mean to tell you like that,” Alyssa said. “I think once you told us the real reason for the publicity stunt, it just kind of scrambled her emotions and she blurted it out. She was embarrassed.”

“I don’t ever want her to be embarrassed to tell me something,” Kaylee said, swiping roughly at her eyes. Alyssa exchanged a worried look with Emma.

“Have you tried talking to her about it?” Emma asked.

“No, I… I don’t think she wants to talk to me.”

“Trust me, she does,” Alyssa reassured her. “She’s just scared that you won’t want to be her friend anymore.”

“What?” Kaylee looked up at Alyssa. “Why would she think…”

“Also because she’s convinced you don’t feel anything for her, and she’s afraid of rejection,” Alyssa shrugged. Kaylee’s breath hitched, which gave Alyssa pause. “Do you… I mean, do you feel something for her?”

Kaylee’s eyes were glassy with tears and wide with uncertainty. “I—I don’t know,” she whispered. “Like I said, I’ve never thought about her like that. I’ve never thought about any girl like that, but I… I don’t know.”

“That’s okay,” Emma said, and Kaylee’s head turned to look at her. “It’s okay to be confused. Let me ask you this. Do you find her attractive?”

Alyssa couldn’t see Kaylee’s expression, but she saw her nod slowly.

“Does she make your day better just by being in it?”

Kaylee nodded again.

“Okay,” Emma said. “Could you, um, see yourself going on a date with her? Kissing her? Dancing with her, even?”

“I—” Kaylee took a deep breath. “I think so, yeah.”

Alyssa remembered, weeks ago now, when Kaylee had asked her what it was like dancing with a woman. She’d sounded so curious, and Alyssa had just brushed it aside, too caught up in her own feelings for Emma.

“Well, that’s definitely a start,” Emma said. “Only you can decide how you feel about her, Kaylee, but it sounds like you might just like her back.”

“Oh,” Kaylee said, turning back around to look at Alyssa. “I might, um… I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since that lunch and, well, it’s all kind of scary.”

“I know,” Alyssa said, reaching out to take Kaylee’s hand. “And you don’t have to do or say anything that you don’t want to.”

“But?”

Alyssa chewed on her bottom lip. “But it might be a good idea to talk to Shelby. Even if you aren’t sure how you feel right now, being honest with her will make things so much better.”

“Since when were you the expert on open communication?” Kaylee gave her a slightly watery laugh. Alyssa glanced at Emma again, who was watching her with a soft look in her eyes.

“Since about this time last week.”

* * *

“I think that was my best Paso yet,” Emma said, feeling a little giddy as she brought Alyssa back upright.

“It definitely was,” Alyssa said, her eyes flickering down to her lips before she leaned in and kissed her, a little harder than she’d been doing all day. “Perfect lines.”

“Thank you, I’ve been working on my core strength,” Emma said, a little smugly. But she couldn’t help it, not when Alyssa was looking at her like that. “Shall we do the Charleston for a bit?”

“Can we take five first?”

“Sure,” Emma said, secretly a little relieved for the break as she linked her fingers with Alyssa’s and walked over to the corner where their bags were. She sat down with her back against the wall, taking a sip of water and watching as Alyssa reached for an energy bar in her bag.

Alyssa sighed, flopping down so that she was sitting sideways across Emma’s lap. Emma’s arms automatically came up to hold her, relishing in the comforting weight of Alyssa’s body on her thighs. Alyssa leaned her head against Emma’s, taking the bar out of its wrapper and breaking it in two. She offered half to Emma, who happily accepted it. The food was sweet and delicious and honestly something Emma had been in need of. She didn’t know whether Alyssa knew about that, or whether she was just sharing her food anyway, but she was grateful nonetheless.

“Are you nervous for tomorrow?” Alyssa asked quietly.

Emma swallowed her mouthful of food. “Terrified.”

“Me too,” Alyssa said. “There’s just so much on the line.”

“I know,” Emma said, tracing looping patterns on Alyssa’s knee with her finger. “And, well, so much has happened since the last time we danced on television together.”

“Yeah,” Alyssa breathed. “Dancing with you feels different.”

“Good different or bad different?”

“Definitely good,” Alyssa said reassuringly, catching Emma’s hand with one of her own. “I feel more… I don’t know, connected?”

“Do you think people will be able to tell we’re together?” Emma asked curiously. “Just from our dancing?”

“I’m not sure,” Alyssa said. She sounded thoughtful. “Maybe. Maybe not. I think people already built theories on us being together from our dancing even before we got together, so who knows what they’ll think now.”

“I like how not many people have been questioning a lesbian and a supposedly straight girl dancing together,” Emma said. “I know some people online have been asking and stuff, but here… none of the other dancers or any of the judges have assumed anything. Not even Trent, and God knows he can’t stop putting his foot in his mouth sometimes.”

Alyssa laughed. “Poor Trent. But, yeah, it’s not felt like as much of an issue as I was scared it would, given how the idea of a same-sex dance partnership was first pitched.”

“Do you know if you’re going to say anything to the higher-ups moving forward?” Emma asked.

“Honestly, I have no idea,” Alyssa admitted with a sigh. “I’ve been trying not to think about that too much, because then I just get really fired up and vindictive, and I get the urge to make out with you on national television just to spite them.”

“Yeah, I can see how that might throw a wrench in keeping our relationship just to us,” Emma laughed. “I know you know this, but you don’t owe them shit. We’re doing a great job, according to everyone else. And this has been the best experience of my life.”

“Yeah?” Alyssa pulled her head back to grin at Emma.

“Absolutely,” Emma said. “I don’t think I’d have made it nearly this far in the competition without you as my dance partner. So, thank you.”

“I’m so glad I asked to be paired with you,” Alyssa said, kissing her on the forehead. Emma’s eyes fluttered closed. “Because this has been the best experience of my life, too.”

“We’re gonna get to the final, right?” Emma asked. She’d been trying to sound so sure of herself lately, but she couldn’t help the moment of vulnerability.

“I think we definitely deserve to,” Alyssa said. “As for whether we will or not, I can’t say. Half of it is up to the public, and the other half is up to the judges. In a way, then, all of it is up to us.”

“Then we should probably get back to rehearsing,” Emma said, only a little reluctantly.

Alyssa just smiled at her. “Maximum effort.”

* * *

Alyssa sat very quietly in her chair in the hair and makeup room, praying that nobody made any comments about the hickey she’d missed just under her jawline. She didn’t know what to do, because it definitely needed to be covered before the show tonight, but she didn’t want to ask her makeup artist to make it disappear, and draw attention to it in the first place.

Most of all, she kept her eyes firmly away from Emma.

Rationally, she knew that she and Emma should be more careful about leaving visible hickeys, but she also knew that they were apt to get a little carried away. She’d certainly left marks in places that had required Emma to cover them with foundation. It was kind of exciting in a way, feeling like they were sneaking around as if they were teenagers, but she also wanted to appear as professional as possible.

The makeup artist met Alyssa’s eyes in the mirror as she reached the hickey. Alyssa’s cheeks grew hot, and she didn’t know what to say. But the woman just smiled knowingly at her and proceeded to work on covering it up without asking any questions. Alyssa didn’t know if that was actually worse, because it made her feel like she and Emma perhaps weren’t being all that subtle about their relationship.

Even Darlene smirked at her when she revealed the final form of Alyssa’s costume for the Paso Doble. Alyssa wondered if she’d done this on purpose, because although the top half had long sleeves and a high neckline, it was also _mesh_. Sure, there was a sort of strapless black bra that went underneath it, but Alyssa knew that it would still give Emma a heart attack. She just hoped it would hide the other marks that Emma had left on her skin; the ones they’d assumed would be properly covered by her costume.

“Thank you, Darlene,” Alyssa said.

Darlene’s dark eyes crinkled. “You’re welcome.”

Alyssa took the costume, as well as her purple flapper-style dress for the Charleston, and changed quickly in a quiet corner of the female pros’ dressing room. She’d just finished making sure the flowy skirt – black, with red lining – was draped correctly around her hips in order for her to grip it and swish it in the right way, when Shelby walked into the dressing room.

“Hey,” she said. “Where’s Emma?”

“I don’t know, probably getting into costume in her own dressing room,” Alyssa said, trying not to feel like she was going on the defensive.

“Interesting,” Shelby said, infuriatingly aloof.

“Why do you care?” Alyssa asked, snorting a little before continuing. “Still half-planning to make Kaylee jealous?”

“No,” Shelby said shortly. “I don’t think anything I do would make her jealous.”

“Shelbs…”

“Besides, I don’t go after people who are actually taken,” Shelby continued with a significant look at Alyssa, knocking all the air out of her lungs.

“I—”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to make you admit anything,” Shelby said, rolling her eyes with a smile. “I just want to let you know that I know. And that you and Emma are the least subtle people I have ever met in my life.”

“Huh,” Alyssa said, perching on the table in front of the mirror.

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s not as bad as you two being obvious while _not _being together,” Shelby said, before pausing thoughtfully. “Actually, I don’t know…”

There was a knock at the door. Alyssa exhaled in relief. “Come in.”

Emma poked her head around the door. “Hey, I was just wondering if…”

Her voice trailed off, eyes widening as she looked Alyssa up and down. Her mouth fell open, just slightly, and Alyssa could see the blush on her cheeks from where she was sat. She felt hot under Emma’s gaze, but it was a welcome heat that she was growing increasingly familiar with.

“Yeah, this is definitely worse,” Shelby muttered.

* * *

“Live, from Hollywood… this is _Dancing With the Stars_!”

Emma barely paid attention to the opening of the show, too busy focused on keeping her breathing steady. She looked in the mirror of the dressing room, smoothing down the tight red shirt she was wearing. She couldn’t pull off red like Alyssa could, that was for sure, but she was still happy with how the costume looked.

The dress rehearsal for the Paso Doble had almost been torture. Emma wished that she could’ve gotten a warning about what exactly Alyssa’s costume would look like, but apparently it had been a surprise to Alyssa herself, so Emma had been given absolutely no chance to prepare.

It was so stupid, because she’d seen Alyssa naked almost as much as she’d seen her clothed this past week, but there was something about the design of this costume that made her absolutely incapable of focusing. Emma wondered whether Darlene was trying to sabotage them.

By the time she’d pulled herself together, she was already out on the dance floor with all the other remaining couples while Tom and Trent introduced the show. She had her arms around Alyssa’s waist, their hands loosely tangled together in front of Alyssa’s abdomen, and it was only the familiarity of this routine that helped to bring Emma back down to earth.

“We’ve got a wonderfully exciting show for you tonight,” Trent promised. “Each of our couples will dance twice. One completely original routine, and one routine that they have chosen to emulate from a past season.”

Tom announced that Carrie and Elliott would be first to take the floor with a Foxtrot, and as soon as they cut to the video package, it was Emma’s cue to get off the dance floor and up to the Sky Box as quickly as possible to watch. Altogether, it wasn’t Carrie’s best performance, but she scored 27 – still a very high mark.

And then, it was Emma and Alyssa’s turn.

Emma wanted to laugh at how awkward she and Alyssa were being in their video package. They looked like they barely wanted to touch each other. Her urge to laugh faded soon after, though, because the way the clips had been cut together presented a picture of the two of them struggling to recreate their performance after last week’s perfect score. Emma sighed in frustration, because clearly they still had no control over how the footage would be perceived, even when they had been so careful around each other in the filmed rehearsal.

Letting the frustration fuel her as the music started, Emma tried to channel everything she was feeling into her dancing. Her annoyance at the executive meddling, her love for Alyssa, her passion for the message they were trying to send, her longing to just be able to be themselves. It felt cathartic.

And Alyssa… Alyssa met her eyes with such intensity and understanding that it made Emma ache. It was them against the world, lost in each other as they danced across the floor. Emma kept her movements strong, lifted her chin up, curled her hand around the back of Alyssa’s neck to draw her closer for a specific step and felt Alyssa do the same. She was hypnotized.

Emma couldn’t believe that she was able to call Alyssa her girlfriend.

Her nerves on fire as they finished the dance, Emma lingered in their hug perhaps a little too long. She could feel Alyssa’s chest rise and fall sharply against her own, and her hands may have been soft on the small of her back, but they burned through Emma’s shirt. Emma drew back, breathless, seeing the flush on Alyssa’s neck and knowing in that moment that she was just as affected as Emma was.

Embarrassingly, Emma spent half of the judge feedback time thinking about the way Alyssa had been looking at her during the dance. She nodded along with whatever the judges said, taking in some of the feedback even if she couldn’t digest all of it. She made a mental note to watch this part of the episode back so that she could properly apply any constructive criticism she may have gotten.

They ended up getting two 10s and a 9 from Dee Dee, which filled Emma’s chest with a sort of fiery determination. Already, though, her mind was shifting to focus on the Charleston that was still to come tonight. With ten dances to make it through in the show, it almost felt as if things were back to the pace of the first few weeks, and it was dizzying.

“You okay?” Alyssa murmured, once the show cut to commercial.

“Yeah,” Emma said. “Everything’s just a lot.”

“I know. I’m so mad about that video package,” Alyssa said lowly. “But do you want to know what I’m not mad about?”

“What?”

“How we danced out there,” Alyssa said. “Sure, we lost the one point from Dee Dee because of a tiny technical thing that nobody else saw again, but it was almost perfect.”

“Well, maybe I just have the best partner,” Emma said, her stomach flipping when Alyssa grinned wide enough to make her dimple appear.

“Oh, you definitely do.”

After the first of two dances, Emma was in second place. Marcus had danced his first perfect score with Shelby, and while Emma was thrilled for them, her competitive drive was also kicking in fiercer than she’d thought possible. She mentally went over the Charleston steps in her head, wondering why this dance felt so different to anything she’d done before, aside from maybe the Jive.

It was entirely possible that it was down to this choreography not being Alyssa’s own. The choreo was clever, like Alyssa’s usually was, but the experience of learning it had still been kind of different. Alyssa liked the routine, though, and so it was good enough for Emma to trust.

Stood at the top of the staircase set with Alyssa, Emma almost felt as if the drum beat of the intro was mimicking her heartbeat. The live music was energetic, with a strong bassline, and Emma felt it all the way through her body. She felt sharp in her grey waistcoat and pants, paired with a shirt that could either be described as pink or light purple, depending on which light it was under. Just before they descended to the dance floor proper, Emma took her newsboy cap off her head and tossed it into the crowd. An answering cheer went up from the direction it had gone in, and Emma couldn’t help the grin that overtook her face as she and Alyssa began to dance in earnest.

The assisted backflip went perfectly, and they moved into the next trick seamlessly. Emma felt confident in their side by side section, glancing over to grin at Alyssa as she enjoyed the feeling of dancing in front of all these people – which was something she’d never expected to feel at the start of this competition. She actually felt _comfortable_.

Emma was running out of breath as they neared the end of the routine. Her legs ached, and she was gasping for air, but she was still smiling as she and Alyssa made their way back up the short flight of stairs to the bigger staircase set. Emma ran up one side, the muscles in her legs protesting the action, while Alyssa ran up the other. They met at the top, Emma bringing her in for their final pose, and pointing to the camera in front of her in an homage to the original routine’s end.

They stayed frozen like that for a second or two, and then Emma pitched forwards into Alyssa’s waiting arms. She laughed delightedly in Alyssa’s ear, knowing that they could do no more to get themselves into the final than that. Two new dances, just the two of them, learned in one week and performed in one night, and she’d remembered all the steps.

She was brought back down by Trent, though, as soon as he opened his mouth.

“That’s an interesting choice of dance,” he commented. “The original was performed in the semi-finals and failed to get the pair through.”

“I—” Emma cut herself off, because she hadn’t known that particular fact when she’d chosen it.

“We’re hoping to write our own narrative with it,” Alyssa said quickly, stepping in and saving her.

“That’s beautiful,” Trent said. “And, hey, two Avicii songs? I love it.”

“Oh, well, Alyssa picked the Paso song but she let me choose the Charleston performance,” Emma said, seeing Alyssa’s smile out of the corner of her eye. “I guess we were just on the same wavelength.”

“Aren’t you two just the cutest?” Trent gushed, and Emma froze a little as she wondered if he somehow knew, too. She didn’t think he did. “Oh. Scores are in!”

“Nine,” Angie said.

Barry was still bouncing up and down in his seat from the feedback section earlier. “Ten!”

“Ten,” Dee Dee said, holding up her paddle.

Emma was gobsmacked. She couldn’t remember another time this season that Dee Dee had given a perfect score and Angie hadn’t. Although, she supposed that Charleston was one of Angie’s main styles of dance, so she may be a little more expectant – not to mention eagle-eyed – for this particular performance than her peers.

“Another near-perfect score,” Trent announced. “That puts you on a combined total of fifty-eight, just ahead of Carrie and Elliott’s fifty-seven so far.”

Even Carrie’s perfect score in her second dance hadn’t quite managed to put her in front of Emma. This was a huge relief, but still Emma reminded herself that the judges’ scores were only half of the story. Trent reminded the camera, too, pointing out the voting information to the audience at home. Emma felt nerves fluttering in her stomach at the prospect of facing the elimination show tomorrow.

She knew that finals week would be a challenge. But it was a challenge she was more than willing to take on, especially if it meant another week of dancing with Alyssa.

* * *

**hoe **@timewives: oh yeah theyve def done the do

**jojo is tired **@dwtstans: help i don’t know who to vote for they’re all so good #dwts

**freddie **@sapphicsamba: @dwstans VOTE FOR THE LESBIANS

**ocean **@zazzhands: if i were either emma or alyssa i would go home and pass tf out

* * *

As soon as they got back to Emma’s apartment, Alyssa watched her collapse on the couch with a satisfied little noise.

She was lying along the length of it on her back, one arm dangling off of it with her hand brushing the floor. Alyssa bit back a smile, making sure that Emma had her eyes closed before placing her backpack on the floor and walking quietly over to the couch. She flopped dramatically on top of Emma, laughing as she heard the groan coming from Emma’s throat at the sudden weight.

Alyssa straightened Emma’s glasses, which she’d put on back at the television studios this week since Alyssa hadn’t interrupted her, and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips before shuffling against her and tucking her head against the side of Emma’s neck.

“I love you,” Emma whispered, the words sending a thrill through her.

Alyssa reached up blindly, her hand finding Emma’s cheek and her fingers stroking over the skin there. “I love you, too.”

“How is it that we’re so domestic already?” Emma wondered aloud, her arms wrapping loosely around Alyssa’s back.

“I don’t know,” Alyssa said. “Maybe we just already had that level of physical comfort from the dancing. Not to mention the emotional intimacy, and we’d already shared a bed and even kissed before we—oh my God, were we already kind of dating?”

Emma laughed from underneath her. “Shit, I think we might have been.”

“Wow, no wonder Shelby got so fed up with us,” Alyssa said, lifting her head to look at Emma’s face properly. Emma bit her bottom lip.

“Things will work out for her, won’t they?”

“I really hope they do,” Alyssa said. “Even if she and Kaylee don’t get together, I just want them both to be happy.”

“Me too,” Emma said, taking hold of Alyssa’s hand that was on her face and kissing her palm. It was such a small gesture, but Alyssa felt herself almost wanting to cry. Emma just smiled at her, oblivious. “Do you want dinner? We can order something, or I can cook, or—”

“I want people to know about us,” Alyssa said softly.

Emma froze. “What?”

“Not, like, through an announcement or anything,” Alyssa explained. “But, if it’s something you want, too, I just… want to be _us _next week. No matter who’s watching.”

“That sounds perfect,” Emma whispered. “God, you’re perfect.”

Alyssa felt her body growing warmer even as tears sprung to her eyes. “So are you. I mean it, Em. Throughout this whole thing you’ve been… so patient and understanding and I—I just really love you.”

“Come here,” Emma said, drawing Alyssa into a kiss that took her breath away.

Alyssa closed her eyes, parting her lips to let Emma lick into her mouth. Her hands wound themselves into Emma’s hair and she let her body sink into Emma’s beneath her, aware of every part of them that was touching. One of her legs slipped between Emma’s thighs, drawing a muffled groan when she pushed up against the apex of her legs.

Emma’s thigh pressed upwards, against Alyssa, and she gasped into Emma’s mouth. She sucked lazily on Emma’s bottom lip, her hips starting up a gentle grind. This, right here, was bliss. Alyssa knew her body was tired, but she was craving this; craving Emma, and she knew what she wanted to do.

She leaned back, encouraging Emma up with her as she brought them both into a sitting position and pressing her body tightly against Emma’s for a few lingering moments before reluctantly breaking the kiss. She moved to the side of Emma’s hips, grabbing her by the waist and turning her so that she was sat normally on the couch with her feet on the floor.

“What are you—”

Emma’s curious voice was cut off when Alyssa stepped off the couch, keeping her gaze locked on Emma’s as she pulled her shirt over her head. She reached behind her back, undoing her bra and letting it fall to the floor.

“Oh.”

“Is this okay?” Alyssa asked.

Emma nodded rapidly. “Always.”

“Okay, good,” Alyssa said, before shimmying out of the rest of her clothes, sinking to her knees in front of Emma, and pushing her legs apart. Emma choked on a strangled breath. “Still okay?”

“Yep.” Emma’s voice came out a little higher than usual, and Alyssa smirked when she almost got stuck taking off her own shirt.

The smirk melted off her face as soon as Emma’s bra came off, though. Emma looked down at her, eyes dark and half-open, and Alyssa couldn’t help but press up higher on her knees to litter kisses across her chest. Emma whined when Alyssa’s lips closed around one of her nipples, her hands coming up to cup the back of her head. Alyssa switched sides, playfully grazing her teeth over the sensitive skin and soothing it with her tongue right after. Emma’s hands slid into her hair.

Alyssa’s hands wandered to the waistline of Emma’s usual post-show leggings, her forearms resting on Emma’s thighs as she waited for her permission. Once she got it, she tugged the leggings down, along with her underwear. Emma’s hips rose from the couch to help her, and Alyssa peeled the clothes off of her until she was completely bare before her. Alyssa thought that Emma without clothes might just be her favorite sight in the world. One day, when she had the time to dedicate to it, she was going to kiss every inch of Emma’s body.

For now, she focused on the insides of Emma’s thighs, teasing the skin with her lips and teeth and tongue until Emma was letting slip soft little whimpers that only drove Alyssa to tease her more.

“Lys,” Emma pleaded. Alyssa glanced up to see Emma’s head thrown back against the back of the couch. She grasped Emma’s hips, pulling her forwards until she was perched on the edge and right in front of her.

Alyssa leaned in the last couple of inches, closing her eyes and flicking her tongue against her. Emma gave a muffled moan, and Alyssa licked at her again more firmly, not quite believing how wet she was already. Sometimes she forgot that she was capable of drawing this kind of reaction from Emma. She liked to remind herself as often as possible.

Emma’s hands tugged gently at her hair, urging her on as Alyssa dipped inside her entrance. She curled her tongue, withdrawing slowly and opening her eyes only to see Emma gazing at her with parted lips and an impossibly soft look behind her eyes. Alyssa traced her way up to Emma’s clit, drawing circles around it before sucking it into her mouth and watching as Emma’s upper body pitched forwards.

“Holy shit,” she gasped.

Alyssa kept going, swirling her tongue around Emma’s clit and bringing one of her hands up to slip one – then two – fingers into her. She thrusted slowly, letting her fingers drag inside her and watching Emma’s reactions all the while. Emma’s eyes never left hers, even when the rise and fall of her chest became sharp, and her hips started bucking up into Alyssa’s mouth, and her hands tightened in her hair.

It wasn’t too much longer before unintelligible moans, and something that might have been Alyssa’s name, were spilling from Emma’s lips as she came. Alyssa kept her fingers moving, bringing Emma down gently and resting her cheek against her hipbone as she let her eyes trace over Emma’s form.

“God, you’re so beautiful,” Alyssa murmured, slipping her fingers from inside Emma.

“Says you,” Emma managed around a low whine, curling her fingers under Alyssa’s chin and encouraging her up for a kiss. She moaned when Alyssa slipped her tongue into her mouth. Alyssa straddled Emma’s hips, pressing their bodies flush together and breaking their kiss with a stuttered whimper.

“Baby, I need you.”

“I got you,” Emma whispered, her fingers slipping between their bodies and finding Alyssa’s clit with ease. “I got you.”

Alyssa sagged against her, tucking her head into Emma’s neck once more and breathing her in. Emma’s free arm wrapped around her waist, her hand stroking down her spine and making her skin tingle. She rocked her hips forwards into Emma’s hand.

Emma took the hint, entering her with two fingers right away and pressing kisses to her shoulder while her thumb continued to swipe over her clit. Alyssa screwed her eyes shut tight, sinking down onto Emma’s fingers and meeting her thrusts again and again with a kind of tired desperation.

“You feel so good,” Emma moaned, her lips brushing the shell of Alyssa’s ear and making her shiver. “I love you, Alyssa. I love it when you ride me like this.”

Alyssa’s voice broke when she cried out, Emma building her up quicker than she thought possible in her tired state. Emma bit down gently on her shoulder, and Alyssa’s hips jerked harshly, pressing Emma’s fingers even deeper and drawing a guttural sound from somewhere within her chest.

Alyssa pulled her head back, opening her eyes and looking at her again. Emma kissed her, once, before leaning their foreheads together and picking up the pace of her thrusts. Her thumb drew tight circles around her clit, and Alyssa’s mouth fell open as she tightened around Emma’s fingers. Her entire body shuddered as she came, trying to get as close to Emma as she could. Emma watched her come with a sort of quiet amazement, as if it was the most breath-taking thing she’d ever seen.

She’d never get tired of the way Emma made her feel.

Alyssa panted harshly against Emma’s lips as her body relaxed again, and she gave a little moan when Emma eased her fingers out. They collapsed against each other, their breathing shallow, and Alyssa felt Emma fall backwards until she was slumped against the back of the couch.

She kissed Emma, slow and deep, knowing that she’d made the right choice in telling her that she wanted people to know. People could say whatever they wanted, and paparazzi could lie in wait outside Emma’s apartment in the morning all they wanted, but they’d never be able to speak for her and Emma. Alyssa knew what was real, and what was true, and she was past caring what the producers or anyone else had to say.

This thing – this _beautiful _thing – was hers and Emma’s alone.

* * *

“The first couple through to next week’s grand final are… Natalie and Jules!”

“Marcus and Shelby!”

“And the first couple in jeopardy are… Winnie and Kevin.”

“Join us after the break for a special performance from our musical guest, and the fates of the last two couples, on _Dancing With the Stars_.”

Emma let out a shaky breath, her heart pounding in her chest as the show cut to commercial. Alyssa turned around in her arms, reaching up so that both of her hands were in Emma’s hair.

“It’s okay,” she murmured. “There’s still a definite spot left.”

“I know,” Emma said. “I know. I’m just scared. I don’t want to let anyone down.”

“No matter what the result is, you could never let anyone down,” Alyssa promised, her eyes gazing into Emma’s own. “Least of all me. Okay?”

Emma swallowed. “Okay.”

She didn’t let go of Alyssa’s hand all the way through the musical guest’s performance. Really, she didn’t absorb the song at all; she was too busy worrying about the rest of the results. God, whoever had decided to do eliminations this way must be a sadist or something.

Carrie put her hand on Emma’s shoulder just before they went back out onto the floor. “Break a leg.”

“You too,” Emma said, reaching up with her free hand to rest it on top of Carrie’s for a moment.

“Who knows, maybe we’ll both end up getting through,” Carrie said hopefully.

“Maybe.”

Emma knew that if that were the case, it would be Kevin who was eliminated, so it didn’t sound like a much better option. She took a deep breath, clutching onto Alyssa’s hand tightly as she stepped back out onto the dance floor. The spotlights were almost blinding in their brightness.

She and Alyssa resumed their usual position. Emma tried not to let herself think that it would be the last time. They had supporters. They had been second on the leaderboard. They would be okay.

“The final couple definitely through to next week’s final are…”

Emma felt like she was going to die. Seconds passed like hours. She could almost feel Trent’s dramatic pause physically ageing her.

“Emma and Alyssa!”

She managed to stop herself from swearing loudly on live TV, but not by much. Instead, Emma let out a ragged breath and closed her eyes, feeling Alyssa’s head drop back to rest on her shoulder. Emma turned her head to press a quick kiss to her neck, blinking back tears at the realization that they’d made it to the final. The _final_.

Her heart went out to her friends in jeopardy, but her overwhelming feeling was one of immense relief. The spotlight on them went out, and that was when Emma began to cry quietly into Alyssa’s neck. Alyssa turned to hug her properly, and Emma thought she saw tears in her eyes, too.

“I’m so proud of you,” Alyssa whispered. “I can’t think of anyone who deserves to be there more than you.”

Emma couldn’t speak, but she made a promise to herself in that moment that she would do anything for Alyssa. She was in love with her, wholly and without remorse, and she wanted to find a way to show her that.

“The couple who, unfortunately, will not be joining us in the final are…” Tom’s voice was regretful, and Emma gripped Alyssa tighter. “Winnie and Kevin.”

Emma swallowed hard as the hosts interviewed Winnie and Kevin. It was a necessary part of the competition, but that didn’t make it any easier to see her friends get eliminated, even if it meant that she herself was moving on.

“Join us on _Dancing With the Stars _next week for our grand final, a three-night extravaganza beginning next Monday at eight-seven central,” Trent said, as all the dancers made their way over to Winnie and Kevin.

“On night one, they will dance a redemption dance, as well as a completely new Freestyle,” Tom explained. “After an elimination at the start of night two, the remaining three couples will dance a fusion dance of two different styles, before finally performing their favorite dance of the season one more time.”

“Trust us, you won’t want to miss night three, where we reunite all of our eliminated couples for a dance, before we finally announce this year’s winners,” Trent said.

Tom smiled at the camera. “Until then, America.”

* * *

**vote emlyssa **@letsgolesbians: HOOOOOOOOLY FUCKING SHIT MY DUDES THEY DID IT

**leigh **@alyssanolan: HEY @emmagreene YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS RIGHT

**not kara **@emmagreene: @alyssanolan: WATCH PARTY

**alice **@wooloowoo: poor kevin looks like a kicked puppy does he know i love and appreciate him

**Betsy Nolan **@pwrtothegran: THAT’S MY FUCKING GRAND-DAUGHTER RIGHT THERE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much! the final is indeed split into two chapters, so finals part one will be coming at you in the hopefully not too distant future!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh man we're getting close to the end now. exciting! enjoy the second to last instalment of dumb dancing lesbians!

Chapter Ten: Finals Week – Part One

* * *

**come on babe / we’re gonna brush the sky / i bet you lucky lindy never flew so high**

* * *

Alyssa would never get tired of waking up in Emma Nolan’s arms.

Aside from everything else, Emma was so cute when she was sleeping. Whether or not Alyssa could see her face, she could always feel the steady rise and fall of her chest; she could always smell the scent of her conditioner; she could always hear the soft little sounds she made when she was waking up. Alyssa knew that she had never felt like this about anyone in her life. She suspected that she never would again, but that thought didn’t scare her as much as she thought it would, because Emma already felt like home.

Additionally, Emma’s home felt more like home than Alyssa’s own apartment did now. She actually couldn’t remember if she’d been there for longer than an hour or so in the past week. She’d made Emma promise to tell her if she felt crowded, but so far Emma had welcomed Alyssa into her living space with open arms. They spent almost all of their time together one way or another, and Alyssa knew that it probably wasn’t the traditional way to start a relationship, but their relationship hadn’t exactly been traditional anyway. It blew her mind to think that, three months ago, she’d had no idea who Emma even was. Now, she couldn’t imagine her life without her. She didn’t want to imagine her life without her.

She felt Emma exhale against the back of her neck, which meant that she had fallen asleep with her nose buried in Alyssa’s hair again. Alyssa grinned even as it raised goosebumps on her skin, feeling Emma’s arm tighten around her middle. Emma’s legs brushed hers as she stretched them beneath the sheets.

“One of these days we’re going to have to put pyjamas on before we sleep,” was the first thing that Emma mumbled. “Winter’s on its way.”

“I’ll keep you warm,” Alyssa said, pushing her ass back into Emma’s hips very deliberately.

Emma’s breath caught in her throat. “Excellent counter, forget—fuck—forget I said anything.”

“Good morning,” Alyssa said, taking pity on her and wriggling around until she was facing Emma instead. Emma’s hazel eyes shone in the light streaming through the window.

“Good morning,” Emma said, her eyes flickering around Alyssa’s face. “You’re pretty.”

Ridiculously, Alyssa felt herself blushing. She leaned in, brushing her lips against Emma’s in the lightest of kisses, before pulling back and pressing a kiss to the tip of Emma’s nose for good measure. Emma hummed contentedly, her fingers tracing a pattern on Alyssa’s back. There was silence for a while, before Alyssa realized they should probably discuss the upcoming week.

“Which dances do you want to pick?” Alyssa murmured. Emma’s forehead creased.

“For what?”

“Our redemption dance, and our favorite dance,” Alyssa explained. “The priority for the next couple of days will be the two new dances, but I thought it might help to decide on the repeat dances as soon as possible.”

“And that’s why you’re the smart one,” Emma said. “I think… I’d like to do our first dance again for the redemption, if that’s not too cliché.”

“The Cha Cha?” Alyssa asked. Emma nodded.

“I think I could do it a lot better now,” she said. “Besides, I think it was our lowest score. Seems logical to do that one again.”

“It was indeed our lowest,” Alyssa confirmed. “Yeah. I like the idea of doing that one again and showing everyone just how far you’ve come since week one. Full circle moment.”

“Okay, so that one’s done,” Emma said with a sleepy smile. “As for my favorite dance… I don’t know. There’s a few.”

“Yeah?”

“Well, the Argentine Tango, for one,” Emma said, her smile turning sly. “I really liked that one.”

“Lots of good memories,” Alyssa agreed.

Emma leaned forwards and kissed her slowly, her tongue teasing Alyssa’s lips apart and making her moan softly. Alyssa’s hand landed on Emma’s collarbone, and she curled her fingers up into a ball against the skin there to stop herself from getting distracted and exploring.

“The Rumba, too,” Emma said when she pulled back. “Because it was when we first kissed. Wait, what are we counting as our first kiss?”

“That’s a good question,” Alyssa said thoughtfully. “I know the kiss in the Rumba was choreographed, but… it still meant something to me.”

“Me too,” Emma breathed. “It meant everything to me. I’d liked you for a while and it was, uh, actually one of those kisses that made me realize that I was falling in love with you.”

“Really?” Alyssa blinked, casting her mind back. “Which one?”

“The third one.”

“Oh,” Alyssa said, things finally clicking into place. “You mean the one that went on a little longer than necessary.”

Emma’s cheeks reddened. “Yeah, that one. Um, and then there’s the Waltz. That was the first dance we did that I really connected to and, I don’t know, it feels… special.”

“I loved the Waltz,” Alyssa said quietly. She took a deep breath, her hand sliding up into Emma’s hair. “Do you remember when I told you the truth about why we got partnered together, and we changed the choreography two days before the live show?”

“I asked you to make it the most romantic Waltz there’s ever been,” Emma said softly. “And you did.”

“When we ran through the new choreo for the first time, and you were leading the dance so comfortably, it was the first time I felt like I wasn’t teaching you anything,” Alyssa said. “We were just _dancing_.”

“I remember,” Emma whispered, her eyes going a little glassy. “I remember feeling so calm and so at ease. I’d never felt that while dancing before.”

“There was this moment, at the end of the routine,” Alyssa said, leaning their heads together. “My forehead was against yours, like this. My hands were in your hair, like this. And… that was the moment I knew I had feelings for you.”

Emma’s breath ghosted against her lips as she spoke. “It was?”

“That moment changed my life,” Alyssa said, swallowing the lump in her throat. “And dancing that Waltz with you on television, for everyone to see, changed my life too.”

Her eyes fluttered closed when Emma kissed her. Their bodies were pressed together under the sheets, filling Alyssa with warmth, but all she was focused on right now was Emma’s lips moving gently against her own. She kissed Emma back softly, her heart swelling in her chest. Emma broke the kiss, but stayed close.

“That one,” she said. Her voice was slightly hoarse. “That one’s my favorite.”

“You want to do the Waltz again?” Alyssa asked, a little surprised.

“Yes,” Emma said, nodding earnestly. “You just said it changed your life. So it’s my favorite dance, and I would love it if you’d give me the honor of waltzing with you again.”

This time, Alyssa couldn’t stop the tears that spilled down her cheeks. “God. I love you, Emma Nolan.”

She rolled Emma onto her back, leaning over her and kissing her desperately while her hand trailed down between Emma’s breasts, revelling in the soft skin beneath her fingers. She flattened her palm against Emma’s chest, as close to her heart as she could get, and felt it beating under her hand. Emma’s heart was pounding, matching the pace of Alyssa’s own.

“So is that a yes to the Waltz?” Emma asked breathlessly, once Alyssa finally broke the kiss.

“Yes.”

* * *

“This Freestyle is going to be a challenge, isn’t it?” Emma panted, resting her hands on her hips and trying to take deep breaths.

“Well, Broadway covers a lot of different dance styles,” Alyssa reasoned. “Besides, I’m sort of still coming up with the choreo. If something doesn’t work, we’ll scrap it.”

“Okay, that sounds fair,” Emma said. “When you pitched ‘Fosse, tap, and _All That Jazz_’, I didn’t really know what to expect.”

Alyssa just grinned at her. “It gives us the opportunity to start slow and sexy, and then have everything get faster and crazier and more elaborate. Plus, Angie’s a huge _Chicago _buff, so I’m hoping to get her onside.”

“You’re targeting Angie?”

“We lost a point from her with our Charleston,” Alyssa said with a shrug. “I’m determined to win her over again, what can I say?”

“Amazing,” Emma said. “Uh, can we go over that last lift a few more times before we carry on? I felt a little wobbly.”

“Of course,” Alyssa said, stepping close and brushing her hands over Emma’s shoulders. “Tell me if you’re getting too tired or strained.”

Emma swallowed. “I will.”

It was a wonder to Emma how even the most innocent of touches from Alyssa was still able to set her ablaze like this. She had grown used to Alyssa touching her in many different ways over the past ten weeks, but every single one made her head spin even now. Alyssa stretched up a little and kissed her on the forehead, taking a step back and preparing herself for the lift.

Emma wiped her palms on her leggings, nodding at Alyssa to signal that she was ready. Alyssa jumped forwards, landing on her side with Emma’s arms around her and keeping her body stiff as Emma spun them. Emma kept her arms wrapped around Alyssa, one over her waist and one under her thighs, hoping that she wasn’t making Alyssa overbalance. Dropping her girlfriend on her head was not something Emma was keen to do.

She lifted the arm holding Alyssa’s legs, keeping the one around her waist secure, and Alyssa rotated into a cartwheel to dismount the lift. She put her hand on Emma’s hip to help steady herself, and Emma found that she wasn’t even distracted by Alyssa’s legs passing in front of her face through her fear of messing up the lift. But Alyssa landed safely, turning back to beam at Emma.

“That felt a lot more under control,” she said. Emma just shook her head in amazement.

“I can’t get over how much faith you have in me not to give you a concussion.”

“I trust you,” Alyssa said easily. “Always have.”

“Really?” A smile spread across Emma’s face.

Alyssa stepped closer again, snaking her arms around Emma’s waist and linking her hands at the small of her back. “Really.”

Emma leaned in, cupping Alyssa’s jaw in her hands, and kissed her. Alyssa sighed happily against her lips when they parted, stealing another kiss that Emma was all too happy to give up.

“Of course, it doesn’t hurt that you’ve gotten so much stronger,” Alyssa murmured, her hands trailing back around to rest against Emma’s abdomen through her top. “As soon as you get the technique down, the lifts are actually pretty easy for you.”

“I still think you could bench press me if you wanted to,” Emma said. Alyssa laughed.

“Maybe later.”

Grinning, Emma pressed another quick kiss to Alyssa’s mouth. “We should probably carry on with the choreo.”

“Probably,” Alyssa agreed. “Once we’ve got this one down, we’ll take a break and then start on the Fusion dance.”

“And then I’ll pass out and die,” Emma said, her mouth going dry at the thought of that particular dance. “Whose idea was it to give us a fusion of Tango and Paso Doble?”

“I don’t know,” Alyssa said. “But I simultaneously want to shake their hand and punch them in the face.”

“And you really had to go and pick Demi Lovato’s _Confident _for the song, didn’t you?” Emma said, raising her eyebrows.

Alyssa shrugged, looking far too innocent, but Emma could see the glint behind her eyes. “It’s a good song.”

* * *

“Morning, Greene,” Shelby greeted her as she walked into pro rehearsal on Thursday morning. “Early for once, I see.”

“Gonzales,” Alyssa said, nodding once at her and noting a little worriedly that, once again, Kaylee was at the opposite end of the room. “I’ll have you know I haven’t actually been late since week two.”

“No, but you haven’t been this early for over a week,” Shelby noted.

Alyssa shrugged. “The traffic wasn’t as bad as usual.”

“Bullshit.”

“Fine,” Alyssa said, rolling her eyes and stepping closer to Shelby so that she could lower her voice. “Emma was tired and went back to sleep, so my morning routine went a lot quicker.”

Shelby raised her eyebrows suggestively. “Tired?”

“Oh, get your mind out of the gutter,” Alyssa sighed, even though she and Emma had been ignoring their exhaustion in favor of having sex more than a few times since they’d gotten together. “Our first rehearsal yesterday ran for, like, nine hours.”

“Holy shit,” Shelby said, looking taken aback. “Okay, yeah, that’s fair.”

Alyssa waited until she could tell that Art was about to call them to order before leaning over and adding, “Emma and I may have also worked off some of the tension from our Fusion dance after rehearsal last night. Thanks for your advice, by the way, but we found an even better solution.”

“I hate you,” Shelby hissed. Alyssa walked away, laughing quietly to herself and going to stand by Jules.

“What was that about?” he asked, looking bemused.

“Just girl stuff,” Alyssa said. “Nothing to worry about.”

“Uh-huh.” Jules didn’t look convinced, but Alyssa just smiled brightly at him.

The rehearsal went well, but it was intense in a way that pro rehearsals hadn’t been since the first couple of weeks. With three nights of broadcasting ahead, and with it being the final, there were more routines to learn. Added to the four routines she was rehearsing with Emma, it was making Alyssa feel a little overwhelmed.

She was relieved when the session was over, at any rate.

“How does it feel knowing you’ve made it to the final in your first competitive season?” Jules asked her, the two of them walking over to their bags.

Alyssa paused, because she hadn’t given it that much thought in her relief to have gotten this far. “God, I don’t know… it feels kind of incredible.”

“Well, congrats,” Jules said, giving her an earnest smile.

“I wouldn’t be there without Emma,” Alyssa said quietly, biting her lip. “She’s… she’s been the best partner I could’ve ever hoped for.”

“She’s definitely something special,” Jules agreed. “I don’t know if it’s just me, but you guys create some sort of magic when you dance together. Can you believe something that started out as a ratings stunt could turn into something so genuine and beautiful?”

He looked lost in his own thoughts for a second. Alyssa, too, was quiet; thinking back to where this had all started.

“Anyway,” Jules said, snapping back out of it. “My brother sends you two his best. I think he’s sneaking in a few votes for you in with the ones for me.”

“Representation is a powerful thing,” Alyssa said, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

“It is,” Jules said. “You know, there’s not one all-white couple in the final, either?”

Alyssa stopped. “Holy shit. You’re right.”

“Granted, most of the celebs are white,” Jules shrugged. “But we taught them good, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess we did,” Alyssa laughed. “Conservative America must be having a ball with this season.”

“I know, it’s amazing.”

Shaking her head with a smile, Alyssa reached out to lightly punch Jules in the arm. “I have to go meet Emma now. You know, and practise for when we beat you.”

“Oh, I see,” Jules said, his eyes shining with amusement. “That’s how it is. Well, I hate to break it to you, but Natalie and I are gonna crush you guys.”

“We’ll see who’s cocky when Emma and I are the ones holding the Mirrorball trophy,” Alyssa said, backing away and giving him a mocking little curtsey. She turned on her heel, Jules’ laughter following her all the way out of the studio.

* * *

“I don’t know if I’m going to survive this week,” Emma groaned, collapsing on the couch as soon as she’d finished loading the dishwasher after dinner. She lifted her arm, and Alyssa immediately curled up next to her and snuggled into her side. Emma pressed a kiss to her hair. “And we’re only two days into rehearsals.”

“I know,” Alyssa said. Her fingers were playing absently with the hem of Emma’s top. “I’m so tired.”

“What do you say to an early night?” Emma said. “Compared to the time we’ve usually been going to sleep, anyway.”

Alyssa snorted. “Might be for the best tonight. But can we just cuddle here for a little while first?”

“Of course.”

Emma closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around Alyssa’s shoulders as she wriggled against her to get more comfortable. Alyssa exhaled deeply against Emma’s neck, making her shiver a little, and she felt Alyssa’s lips curve up into a smile where they brushed against her skin.

Emma trailed her fingers up and down Alyssa’s arm, almost unaware of what she was doing. She was just enjoying being this close to her without either dancing or sex being involved, as much as she loved both of those. In fact, she was so comfortable that she found herself almost drifting off.

“What are you humming?” Alyssa whispered.

“Hm?”

Emma didn’t realize she’d been humming anything.

“I could feel the vibrations in your chest,” Alyssa explained. “You were humming something, but I didn’t recognize it.”

“Might be a song idea,” Emma wondered aloud. “I’ve been too busy to write lately, but there’s been a tune in my head for about a month now. Doesn’t have words or anything, but it won’t leave me alone.”

“Well, not much longer until we won’t be in the dance studio every day,” Alyssa pointed out.

And, even though she was currently exhausted from a studio session, Emma felt her heart sink a little. “Yeah.”

There was silence for a while, while Emma tried to work up the courage to speak again.

“Alyssa?”

“Yes?”

Emma tapped her fingers against Alyssa’s upper arm. “Can we keep dancing together even after the competition is over?”

She felt Alyssa’s head move, and then she was resting her chin on Emma’s shoulder and looking up at her with soft eyes. When Emma looked closer, they looked to be a little watery, and she brushed some stray hairs back from Alyssa’s face.

“Emma… of course we can keep dancing together,” she said quietly. “You have no idea how much I want to do that.”

“Okay, good,” Emma said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Because I really don’t want to have to give that up.”

“I’d dance with you forever,” Alyssa murmured.

Her body went stiff, eyes widening like she suddenly realized what she’d implied. Emma held her breath while she waited to see if Alyssa would take it back, but her girlfriend was silent. Emma swallowed thickly, her voice coming out a little raspy.

“I’d dance with you forever, too.”

Alyssa’s body relaxed again, and she leaned in to kiss her softly. The kiss lingered for a few seconds, Emma getting lost in the taste of her lips, before they separated again. Emma knew that, rationally, it was probably too early to start thinking about promises like this. But at the same time… this was _Alyssa_.

Emma started humming again, only this time it was an existing song in her head. It had been in her head a few times this past week, when she was with Alyssa in moments like this one. Alyssa’s brow furrowed, and then recognition suddenly sparked behind her eyes.

“Fleetwood Mac?” she asked. Emma nodded, still humming, and Alyssa bit her lip. “Could you sing it for me?”

Emma got to the end of the line before pausing. Alyssa gazed up at her, bringing a smile to her face, and Emma’s heart swelled as she started singing quietly where she’d left off.

“_To you, I’ll give the world. To you, I’ll never be cold_.”

Alyssa’s eyes were shining. One of her hands caught one of Emma’s, intertwining their fingers with a shy smile on her face that made Emma fall somehow even more in love with her.

“_Cause I feel that when I’m with you, it’s alright. I know it’s right_.”

Emma couldn’t tear her eyes away from Alyssa’s face as she sang. And, although these weren’t her words, it felt like she was using them to spill everything her heart had to offer to Alyssa.

“_And the songbirds are singing, like they know the score. And I love you, I love you, I love you, like never before_.”

She stopped there, the sudden lump in her throat making it impossible to keep going. Alyssa took a shaky breath, her hand coming up to cup Emma’s cheek. Emma felt her thumb stroke over her cheekbone, and she automatically leaned into the touch.

“I love your voice,” Alyssa said. “Almost the first thing I saw you do was sing, and I’ve always thought that you sound absolutely beautiful. I can’t describe what hearing you sing does to me.”

Emma swallowed. “Yeah?”

“I realized I was falling in love with you when you sang _Falling Slowly _to me, right here on this couch,” Alyssa confessed, and it knocked all the air out of Emma’s lungs.

“You…”

“Dumb, right?” Alyssa laughed a little. “But it’s true. I guess that would be the closest way I can describe what you singing to me does.”

Emma’s head was spinning. “Remind me to sing to you more often,” she managed.

As Alyssa cuddled into her and closed her eyes, Emma couldn’t stop her thoughts from spiralling out of control. She’d promised herself that she would do anything to show her love to Alyssa, and she was beginning to think there was a way she might be able to do just that. She didn’t know if it would be feasible.

But it was worth a try.

* * *

“We’ve chosen to dance our Cha-Cha-Cha again for our redemption dance,” Alyssa said, addressing the camera with Emma sat next to her. It was mid-Friday afternoon, and the countdown to night one of the final was well and truly on. Alyssa had crammed in as much Freestyle and Fusion rehearsal as she could before the camera crew had arrived, and as soon as their interview was over, they’d be running through their repeat dances again for the first time.

“I was terrible the first time round,” Emma said plainly.

“You weren’t—”

“It’s okay, I definitely was,” Emma laughed. “It was my first dance on the show and I was so scared. There was a moment before we went down to the dance floor where I genuinely didn’t think I’d be able to do it.”

Alyssa turned to look at her, because she remembered that moment. She remembered leaning her forehead against Emma’s, and getting her breathing to calm down, and helping her as best as she knew how.

“And then Alyssa told me that I was okay,” Emma continued, her voice softening as she glanced over at her before turning back to the camera. “She said that she was going to be there with me. That I wouldn’t have to do it alone. Still, um, that dance wasn’t my best, and I really want to show how much better I could do it now.”

“She’s improved the most out of anyone in this competition,” Alyssa said, only then forcing her attention back to the camera and the crew. “I don’t think anyone could argue with that.”

Emma blushed under the praise, ducking her head to look at her hands. “Only cause Alyssa’s such a good teacher.”

“And what have you chosen for your favorite dance of the season?” one of the men asked.

Alyssa nodded at Emma, who grinned a little bashfully at her before looking up at the camera.

“The Waltz.”

“Any particular reason?”

Alyssa’s heart started pounding in her chest, her mind flashing back to their conversation in bed two days earlier.

“Because it’s our favorite,” Emma said simply. “Doing that dance on television meant a lot to us, and Alyssa choreographed such a beautiful routine, and I… really want to dance it again. I hope we get to.”

“Me too,” Alyssa said quietly, meeting Emma’s gaze when she looked over in her direction. She blinked, suddenly, remembering that they were in the middle of an interview. “Right now we’re about to dance those two routines again for the first time, but before that… I have a surprise, if Emma wants it.”

Emma looked curious. “What is it?”

“I know you’re not crazy about the idea of watching your dances back,” Alyssa said. “But I have the footage from the _Mercy _and _A Thousand Years _performances. Just to show you how far you’ve come.”

“I…” Emma bit her lip, and Alyssa held her breath. “Yeah, I think I’d like to watch them.”

“Okay,” Alyssa said, breathing a sigh of relief and fetching her tablet from her bag. She returned, pulling up the videos she’d saved and sitting back down next to Emma. “This is the Cha Cha performance.”

She pressed play, memories washing over her and she watched the her and Emma of almost nine weeks ago dance. Past Emma was clearly terrified, seeking comfort in Alyssa as she went through the steps. Despite her obvious fear and the tension in her body, she wasn’t doing a bad job.

“Oh,” Emma said, clearly coming to the same conclusion. “Maybe I wasn’t completely awful.”

“And you’ve gotten so much better, and so much more confident,” Alyssa pointed out quietly, glancing up to look at Emma as she watched the video. “Look how self-conscious you were in that side-by-side section.”

“God,” Emma laughed. “I look like I’m waiting to be rescued.”

They watched the rest of the Cha Cha, before Alyssa swiped to the next video. The Waltz. She herself had only been able to watch this back once; it made her too emotional when she remembered everything that had happened that week, and the stand that they’d decided to take.

This time, they watched the video in silence. Alyssa alternated between watching the past versions of themselves dance and watching Emma’s reaction to it. Emma’s bottom lip was caught between her teeth, her eyes focused intently on the tablet. Her arm was pressed against Alyssa’s, burning through the sleeves of her shirt. Alyssa saw her gulp at the end.

“So, um,” Alyssa said, addressing the camera once the Waltz video was over. “That’s it.”

“I can’t wait to dance these again,” Emma said. Alyssa’s gaze landed on her, seeing earnest eyes looking back at her, and her stomach flipped.

“Me neither.”

* * *

For once, on Saturday it was Emma who was first out of the door. She had a costume fitting with Darlene while Alyssa was at pro rehearsal, and it meant that she was scrambling to get herself ready in time. Alyssa handed Emma her bag, catching her by the hand and spinning her to face her. Emma was taken a little by surprise when Alyssa leaned in and kissed her.

“Breathe,” Alyssa said, close enough for Emma to feel her breath against her lips. “You’ve got time.”

“I know, but there’s so much to do today,” Emma said, taking a deep breath nonetheless. “The costume fitting, for one, and then I’ve got to run about a million errands—”

“Hey, babe, you’re gonna be fine,” Alyssa reassured her. Her expression turned playful. “And don’t forget to add lunch to your list of errands. It’s your turn to pick it up today.”

Emma gave her a joking salute. “Gotcha.”

“See you in a few hours,” Alyssa said. Emma pressed another peck to her lips before dashing away and out the door.

The drive to the television studios to meet Darlene wasn’t as long as she’d feared, given that it was the weekend and less people were trying to get to work, but Emma was still utterly fed up of LA traffic. She’d decided long ago that it was her least favorite thing about the city. Emma parked in the lot, locking her truck and making her way inside the now very familiar building. It was crazy that she felt so at home in a huge television studio.

“Hey, Darlene,” Emma greeted, walking into the wardrobe department and seeing a team of people hard at work creating a million different costumes for the final. “Hello, everyone.”

There was a chorus of greetings as Emma made her way through with Darlene to the more private fitting area of the department. Darlene drew the curtains shut behind them, having Emma strip down to her bra and underwear and step onto her usual box. Although Emma had once hated this, now she didn’t feel awkward or self-conscious at all. It was just another weird thing she’d gotten used to.

“Okay, honey,” Darlene said, clapping her hands together. “We’ve got a dark green waistcoat ready for your Freestyle, and a black tie to match your pants. White shirt with that one, I think. Classic, but with a pop of color.”

“Sounds great,” Emma said, taking the waistcoat from Darlene’s hands to get a closer look at it and feeling the silky material beneath her fingers. “Is Alyssa’s dress green?”

“Nope,” Darlene said cheerfully, clearly not intending to explain any further. Her secrecy was yet another thing Emma had gotten used to these past weeks.

“Alright,” she said, deciding to trust her instead of pressing it. “What about the Fusion costume? What’s that like to design?”

“In your case, very easy,” Darlene said, fetching another costume off the rail. “Tango and Paso mix means open red shirt over a black crop top, if you’re comfortable. You can always lose the shirt if you’re feeling extra confident.”

She finished it off with a wink, clearly making sure that Emma didn’t miss her pun. “Yeah,” Emma decided. “I’m cool with that.”

Darlene beamed at her. “That’s the spirit, sweetheart. “Now I don’t mind telling you that Alyssa’s dress for this one will be red.”

“Oh, God, please tell me you’re not using the _Roxanne _dress again,” Emma said, her eyes widening. Darlene burst into laughter.

“No. New dress. Don’t let that relax you, though.”

“Wonderful,” Emma muttered, a blush spreading across her face and down her neck.

“Your Cha Cha outfit is the same, with a few sizing alterations,” Darlene said. “We’re working on that right now.”

“And the Waltz?”

Darlene smirked, going over the rail and pulling clothes out of a garment bag. “White button-up shirt with untied black bowtie attached, and…”

“Fucking hell,” Emma gasped, her stomach plummeting as she saw what else Darlene pulled out of the bag. “Please, no…”

“I told you I’d remember,” Darlene cackled, handing the clothing over. “Hot pink Hammer pants, as promised.”

“Darlene, I’m begging you,” Emma said, feeling a strange panic wash over her. “I need you to tell me you’re joking right now, because this will be our last dance if we make it that far and it needs to be perfect and I can’t do a Waltz in Hammer pants, I just can’t—”

“Settle down,” Darlene said reassuringly, reaching up to place her hands on Emma’s shoulders. “I was only messing with you, honey. Regular black pants it is.”

“Thank you,” Emma said, sagging with relief and feeling more than a little embarrassed about her outburst. “Sorry about that, I just… well, it’s my favorite dance for a reason, and I just want it to go well.”

“I understand,” Darlene said, taking the Hammer pants back. “And there’s no need to apologize. It’s a stressful week.”

“For you, too, I bet,” Emma said.

Darlene shrugged. “You get used to finals week when you’ve been doing this job as long as I have. Now, what do you say we try some of these on and see what needs to be adjusted?”

“Sounds good,” Emma said, letting herself relax a little once more.

* * *

“I’m just saying, the longer you leave it to talk to Shelby, the worse it’s going to get,” Alyssa said lowly, glancing behind Kaylee to make sure nobody was going to overhear them as they left after pro rehearsal.

Kaylee groaned. “I know, I know. But I’m still not much closer to figuring out how I actually feel about her and I don’t want her to feel like she’s some sort of experiment, or that I’m toying with her feelings.”

“Shelby’s an adult, she’ll understand,” Alyssa insisted. “Kaylee, I think that mainly she just misses her friend.”

“I miss her, too,” Kaylee whispered. “I miss her so much.”

“I know you do,” Alyssa said gently. “It’s killing me seeing you two both so sad, so I can’t even imagine what you’re feeling.”

“The past few months have just been kind of a mess,” Kaylee sighed. “On all fronts.”

Alyssa’s phone vibrated in her hand. She tried her best to ignore it, but when she glanced down at the screen, it was Emma’s contact name that stared back up at her.

“Answer it,” Kaylee said, giving Alyssa a reassuring smile. “I gotta go anyway.”

She hugged Alyssa quickly and, before Alyssa could think to say anything else, Kaylee was gone. Sighing, Alyssa accepted the call and pressed her phone to her ear, checking around her to make sure that she was alone.

“Hi, baby,” she said. “Is everything okay?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, it’s all good,” Emma said, sounding a little confused at the worry that had been in Alyssa’s voice. “I’m just calling to say that I’m running a tiny bit late and I probably won’t be able to stop for lunch, unless you want drive thru McDonald’s. I’m so sorry, I know it’s my turn.”

“Emma, it’s fine,” Alyssa said, relieved that this was all she was calling about. “I’ll grab us something a bit healthier and more filling on the way to the studio.”

“You’re the best.”

“I know,” Alyssa said smugly. “And listen. I know you were stressed about getting all these various errands done, but just relax. We can always take the rehearsal a little later if we don’t start on time.”

She heard Emma exhale on the other end of the line. “I love you and your brain so much.”

“I love you, too,” Alyssa said softly. “Just get your incredible ass over to the studio as soon as you’re done. I’d much rather waltz with you than by myself.”

“I’ll break every speed limit to get over there and dance with you,” Emma said. Alyssa smiled fondly, even though she knew Emma couldn’t see it.

“Please don’t get a ticket.”

“Hey, if I’m apparently famous enough to have to call security on the paparazzi, then maybe I’m famous enough to get out of a speeding ticket,” Emma said.

“Maybe let’s not find out today,” Alyssa laughed.

Emma groaned. “Spoilsport. Anyway, I gotta go now but I’ll see you as soon as I can.”

“Okay,” Alyssa said, shouldering her bag and making her way to the exit. “See you in a little while.”

* * *

Camera blocking was, in a word, brutal.

Emma was just about getting used to running through two dances three times each, but today they were required to run through every single one of their dances, whether or not it was guaranteed that they’d end up performing them on TV. This meant that Emma had to dance twelve times in total – four different routines – and it scrambled both her body and her mind.

At least the four dances they were doing were all pretty different from each other, which made it easier to keep them apart in her head.

It was hard to make the Waltz romantic when all Emma could think about was how sweaty she probably was, but if Alyssa noticed, she didn’t let it affect her. She just gazed back at Emma the same as usual, her caresses gentle and her eyes soft whenever they were able to meet Emma’s. Her choreography from weeks ago felt even more special now that their relationship had changed since the last time they’d performed this routine.

When they came to the end of their final run-through, Emma barely had the strength to pull herself and Alyssa back upright. Alyssa’s arms went around her neck as Emma’s looped around her waist, and they just held onto each other for a long moment. Emma was breathing hard, feeling Alyssa’s chest rising and falling against her own. She noticed that both of them were covered in a light sheen of sweat, even Alyssa – whose stamina, Emma had found out – was something to be marvelled at. And rationally, Emma knew that she was a hell of a lot fitter than she had been at the start of this process, but she was still wiped out. What was more, Emma knew that she and Alyssa would be doing one last rehearsal session later in their studio, so the day was far from over.

“Okay, that was great, guys,” a crew member said, sounding more sympathetic than any of them had all season. “We’ve got all we need from you. Carrie and Elliott, we’re ready for you.”

Emma pulled back from the embrace, smiling a little when Alyssa pushed some hair back from her eyes for her, and took Alyssa’s hand to allow herself to be tugged off the dance floor. Carrie was on the edge of the floor with Elliott, eyebrows in her hairline at the state the two of them were in. Or, at least, that’s what Emma assumed her expression was about.

“Ready for the marathon?” she gasped as she and Alyssa neared them.

“Born ready,” Carrie said, but – for the first time – she looked intimidated. It brought Emma no small amount of relief to discover that Carrie evidently knew she had limits.

“Break a leg,” Alyssa said. “Come on, Em, I need a drink.”

Emma suddenly became aware of how dry her throat was. “God, me too.”

Carrie patted her on the shoulder as she went past, before she and Elliott stepped out onto the dance floor to begin. Emma made a beeline for her bag, grabbing her water bottle and draining it completely. She took a deep breath after it was empty, closing her eyes for a second and feeling the exhaustion really settle in.

“I can’t watch them,” she muttered. “They’re probably going to be foot-perfect and I know I made a couple mistakes in every routine just now.”

“It was a lot to do in such a short space of time,” Alyssa said. “I was off-balance more than once.”

“We can’t do that on the show,” Emma said, shaking her head. “If we make even one mistake it’s going to drop us behind the others and then people aren’t going to want to vote for us and—”

“Emma—”

“We’re going to be eliminated and we won’t get to dance our last two routines and it’ll be my fault—”

“_Emma_.”

Alyssa grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her slightly. Emma blinked, Alyssa’s face coming into sharp focus as she did. She looked frustrated.

“Don’t talk like that,” she said firmly. “All you’re going to do is get inside your own head and psych yourself out.”

“But—”

“No. I know it probably won’t mean much coming from the most competitive person in the world,” Alyssa said, “but you can’t let how other people perform affect you so negatively. They’re going to do their best, and so are we. That’s all we can do.”

“I’m just scared,” Emma said tiredly. “This is what we’ve been working towards for all this time, and now that there’s an end in sight… it doesn’t feel like we’re dancing to get to the next week. We’re dancing to win.”

“I know,” Alyssa said. “Believe me, Emma, I know. And I want to win just as much as anyone else. But I need you to understand that nothing between us would change if we didn’t.”

Emma swallowed. “Are you—”

“Sure? Yes, I’m sure. How could you even think that it would?” Alyssa frowned.

“I don’t know,” Emma said, shrugging her shoulders and looking at the floor. “I know it was a risk, starting something while we were still in the competition, and I just don’t want to feel like we could’ve won if only we’d just held off a couple more weeks.”

“Emma, look at me.”

Taking a deep breath, Emma glanced up to meet Alyssa’s eyes. She almost choked at the intensity she found in her gaze.

“I would choose you over winning any day,” Alyssa said. Her voice was quiet, but Emma could feel the power behind them.

“I’m not asking you to choose,” Emma whispered. “I would never.”

“I know you’re not,” Alyssa said. “And, in a perfect world, I wouldn’t have to. But I just want to make sure you know that, if we don’t win, I wouldn’t regret a second of being with you.”

At her words, it felt like Emma’s entire body relaxed. She didn’t know how much she’d actually needed to hear Alyssa say something like that. All the guilt she didn’t realize she’d been holding left her in that moment.

“What we have is so much more important than some stupid trophy,” Alyssa murmured. “I’m sorry it took me so long to see that.”

“Alyssa, trying to win that trophy is literally your job,” Emma reasoned. “’Job equals sole focus’ is what you were taught all your life. I think I can forgive you some weeks of turmoil. Especially because I wasn’t exactly being forthcoming with my own feelings.”

“You know, I’ll always resent the initial reason behind why we got paired together,” Alyssa said. “But, at the same time, it led me to you.”

Emma’s heart swelled, the pulse that had only just slowed down starting to quicken again. “What do you say we go win that stupid trophy?”

She thought that it would’ve been a great dramatic moment, if not for the fact that her words were said around a sudden yawn. Alyssa’s hands slipped to her arms, rubbing up and down comfortingly.

“I think maybe we should take a nap first,” she said.

“Yes, please,” Emma said, feeling her eyelids start to droop already. “Pick a corner. Any corner.”

Alyssa laughed, the sound music to Emma’s ears. She led Emma a short distance to a quiet corner of the building – or as quiet as this place could be the day before a show – and rolled her hoodie up into a ball. She offered it to Emma with a shy smile on her face.

Emma took it, memories of the first time they’d napped together washing over her. She’d fallen asleep and woken up with Alyssa so many times since, but she’d never forget that first twenty minute nap together in their rehearsal studio. She reached into her own bag and handed Alyssa her sweater in return.

They slept there, curled together on the floor of the studios, for almost an hour.

* * *

“I can’t believe it’s only three hours away,” Shelby mused, sat with Alyssa in the female pros’ dressing room. “It feels so weird knowing that, three days from now, we won’t be in another rehearsal for next week.”

“I can’t believe the season’s almost over,” Alyssa said, leaning back in her seat and looking up at Shelby, who was perched on the table. “Who would’ve thought we’d both be in the final?”

“I think we both thought we would be individually,” Shelby said with a wry smile. “But having it actually happen…”

“God, remember when I thought they might pair me with Marcus?”

Shelby snorted. “If we’d swapped partners I feel like the past three months would’ve gone very differently. Probably some sort of disaster.”

“Yeah, I think Emma would’ve been terrified of you,” Alyssa said, which drew a smirk from Shelby.

“As she should’ve been.”

The door opened, and Kaylee walked in. Alyssa heard Shelby’s breath hitch, and she suddenly wondered if she should leave. Just as she started to rise, she felt Shelby’s hand on her shoulder, stilling her. She sat back down again, because it seemed as if Shelby was silently begging her not to leave her alone with Kaylee.

“Hi,” Kaylee said quietly. “Sorry, I can come back later.”

“It’s okay.” Shelby’s voice was slightly strangled. “It’s your dressing room, too.”

“Okay,” Kaylee said, her eyes dropping to the floor. She shifted on the spot. “Congratulations, by the way. My two best friends. Finalists.”

“Thanks, Kayls,” Alyssa said. “Maybe it’ll be you next season.”

Kaylee snorted. “As long as my partner and I don’t get coerced into faking a relationship for publicity.”

There was a tense silence, which was only broken when Kaylee cracked a smile. Alyssa let out a breath, feeling Shelby relax a little at her side, because clearly this wasn’t as much of a sore spot for Kaylee anymore as it had been recently.

“I couldn’t tell anyone, but I tried to hint whenever I could,” Kaylee said, her eyes meeting Alyssa’s. “I told you one time that we were a thing, but not officially. I guess that thing was ‘not real’.”

“Huh.”

Kaylee’s gaze slid over to Shelby. “And I know you hated my Disney week routine.”

“We used to watch _Beauty and the Beast _together all the time,” Shelby said softly. “So seeing you and Nick dressed as Belle and _Gaston_…”

“We were trying to show that we weren’t—” Kaylee cut herself off, clearly frustrated as she was searching for the right words. “Belle and Gaston aren’t the love story of the movie. Nick and I weren’t the love story of the show.”

“Oh,” Shelby said, blinking a few times. “I never thought…”

“Evidently I wasn’t smart enough to be able to get the point across,” Kaylee said ruefully.

“Hey,” Shelby said immediately. “It’s not your fault that neither of us made the connection.”

She and Kaylee stared at each other for a long moment, probably becoming aware that this was the most words they’d exchanged in a while. Alyssa felt as if she was holding her breath, waiting to see what happened next.

“I’m so sorry, Shelby,” Kaylee said, visibly gulping as she took a timid step closer. “The past few weeks have been awful, and it’s all because I wasn’t honest with you.”

Shelby shook her head, almost in a trance. “It’s not… I’m sorry, too. For everything I said, including at that restaurant.”

“Don’t apologize for that,” Kaylee said, tears forming in her eyes as she stepped closer still, until she came to a stop in front of them. “I know you didn’t mean to say what you did that day.”

“I was going to tell you eventually, I swear,” Shelby said hoarsely. “I was just waiting for a better time, but it just kind of slipped out and then I made things weird. And then I made them even more weird by running away and avoiding you after.”

“I was avoiding you, too,” Kaylee admitted. “I didn’t—I needed some time.”

“That’s understandable,” Shelby said, nodding her head a little jerkily. Alyssa saw her steel herself and, suddenly, she knew what was about to happen. “I want to tell you properly. Be honest with you.”

“Okay.”

“Kaylee, I…” Shelby took an unsteady breath. “I’ve had feelings for you for months now. I thought if I ignored them then they would just go away and it would be fine. But then I got jealous when I thought you and Nick were together and I just, um, I have to be honest with you and say that – cards on the table – I... I love you.”

Alyssa’s eyes widened, because she’d known about Shelby having feelings for Kaylee, but _love_… that was news to her. As she watched Shelby, though, looking the most terrified Alyssa had ever seen her, it made perfect sense.

“I’m sorry if it’s too much,” Shelby said, keeping her eyes on nothing but Kaylee’s own. “But I’ve been avoiding saying it for so long and I—I just felt like I should be completely truthful with you. You deserve to know.”

“Wow, I…” Kaylee blinked rapidly, her chest rising and falling sharply. “It’s not too much. You being so brave and honest could _never _be too much, Shelbs.”

“And I completely understand if you don’t—if you don’t—” Shelby cut herself off, biting hard on her bottom lip.

Kaylee’s eyes were wide and a little scared. Her voice was barely more than a whisper. “I’m not sure how I feel. I’m still trying to figure it all out, and I don’t want you to think that I’m just playing around with you or something, because that’s the last thing I would ever do.”

“What… what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I might, um, I might like you. Like that,” Kaylee murmured, a little louder. She wrapped her arms around herself. “This is—I’ve never felt like this about a woman before, and I’m trying to figure out if it’s… I don’t know. Everything’s kind of confusing.”

“You might…” Shelby trailed off, looking like she was hardly daring to believe what she was hearing. “Can I give you a hug, Kaylee?”

Kaylee nodded rapidly, her voice breaking as she spoke. “Please.”

In an instant, Shelby was slipping off the table and crossing the short distance between her and Kaylee to pull her into a tight embrace. Kaylee clung onto her, sobbing quietly into her neck. Alyssa swallowed the lump in her own throat as she watched them. They stayed like that for a long moment, Kaylee’s crying the only sound.

Eventually, Shelby pulled back. She wiped the tears from Kaylee’s cheeks. “I know you would never play around with the way I feel.”

“I want to be able to figure it out,” Kaylee said. “I thought I could do it without talking to you, but… I need you too much.”

“How about we go back to being friends?” Shelby’s voice was gentle. “You can take all the time you need to work out how you feel, and if…” she paused. “And if you realize you don’t like me as anything more than a friend, then that’s okay.”

Kaylee’s face crumpled at hearing those words. “I’m going to tell you everything from now on. No matter how stupid I think it is, I’m going to tell you.”

Shelby looked at her adoringly, and Alyssa decided that it was time for her to go and leave them to themselves. She stood quietly, grabbing her bag and smiling at her friends as she made her way to the door. Kaylee and Shelby were hugging again, too caught up in each other to really notice her go, but Alyssa didn’t mind.

The relationship between the three of them, which had felt so fractured during the past month, finally seemed to be healing.

* * *

There was a sense of excitement in the air unlike anything Emma had ever experienced.

Alyssa had just appeared at her side in her Cha Cha costume, having just changed after doing the opening number, and the two of them were about to watch Marcus and Shelby kick off the competition with their redemption Quickstep.

For the final, all of the eliminated pairs were up in the Sky Box with the ones still left in the competition, which only added to the party-like atmosphere. During the commercial break, Kaylee had started up a chant for Shelby and Marcus, which had taken Emma by surprise. One look at Alyssa, though, confirmed that the two of them had finally talked. Alyssa looked so happy; like a weight had been lifted from her. So did both Shelby and Kaylee. Emma wasn’t sure what had happened, but it seemed positive, at least.

She and Alyssa were third in the running order out of the remaining four. After Marcus, it would be Natalie and Jules. Carrie and Elliott would perform last. Emma waited in the Sky Box, dressed in her costume from week one of the show, but feeling so much more at ease than she had been the first time around.

Marcus and Shelby scored a perfect 30 for their redemption dance. They looked over the moon, and Emma took a deep breath, because the gauntlet had officially been thrown down.

“Just to remind you that the judges’ scores hold no power over the finals,” Trent said, addressing the camera. “They are a guideline for your benefit only. So, if you want to keep Marcus and Shelby in the competition, then remember to vote for them. All the information you need will be on your screen and, since it’s the final, we’re giving everyone double the votes.”

Emma knew all of this already, the competitors having been briefed on it during the previous day’s dress rehearsal, but it still made nerves flutter in her stomach. Their fate was completely down to the audience.

As Natalie and Jules took to the floor, Alyssa pulled Emma aside. Emma went willingly, like she always did, taking a deep breath as she looked into Alyssa’s eyes and saw all her own nerves and excitement reflected back at her.

“Are you ready to get down there?”

Emma smiled softly. “You asked me the exact same thing before our first dance.”

“I did,” Alyssa said. “I also asked you to trust me. I told you that I got you.”

“You weren’t lying,” Emma said. “I’ve always trusted you. And, I know it wasn’t how you meant it, but you’ve had me since that moment.”

She felt Alyssa’s fingers brush her cheek. “I didn’t know it at the time, but you had me, too. Right from the start.”

Emma caught her hand, pressing a quick kiss to her knuckles. “Right from the start,” she agreed. “And, yes. I’m ready to get down there.”

They waited for their turn, finally descending to the floor when it was time. Emma absorbed the crowd’s cheers only in the back of her mind. The video package washed over her. All that she could focus on was Alyssa. She squeezed her girlfriend’s hand once before she let go, making her way over to her starting position.

The band played the opening notes of _Mercy_, and then Emma was moving. And, unlike the last time she’d performed this dance on television, she was actually enjoying herself. The smile on her face came naturally as she and Alyssa danced together. This routine was definitely their easiest, seeing as the choreography was from the first week of competition, so Emma really tried to put as much flair into it as she could. Her body moved in perfect time with the music.

She spun Alyssa under her arm, her other hand landing high on Alyssa’s back as they came back into their frame. Alyssa somehow looked even more beautiful in her gold costume than she had the last time she’d worn it. Emma still blushed a little at the feeling of her bare skin beneath her fingertips, but it was a different kind of blush.

Before, she hadn’t appreciated how sexy this routine actually was.

They hit the side-by-side section, and then the New Yorkers, which was Emma’s cue to start throwing everything she had into the dance as it neared its end. Alyssa’s smile was almost splitting her face as they danced, and Emma suddenly felt a rush of euphoria. She held her hand out for Alyssa, spinning her closer and wrapping an arm around her back. She punched the air as they hit their final pose, Alyssa draped in front of her with her head thrown back.

The crowd cheered, and Emma could hear the yelling from the Sky Box, and she was on top of the world. She pulled Alyssa upright, hugging her and laughing breathlessly. Alyssa clung on tightly, shouting praise in her ear, and Emma just breathed her in.

“Emma,” Angie said, as soon as the applause had died down enough to give her feedback. Emma stood, next to Tom Hawkins, with her arm around Alyssa’s waist. “If I’d have told week one Emma that she could do _that_, I think she would’ve called me crazy. You owned that dance. You were confident, you were enrapturing, you were _sexy_. Great job.”

Barry went next. “Watching you grow throughout this competition has been one of my biggest joys,” he said. “The way you two dance together is special, I don’t think anyone could deny that. And my favorite thing about you, Emma, is that you have never once stopped trying your best.”

Emma ducked her head, Barry’s words warming her heart and making tears prick behind her eyes. She felt Alyssa grip her tighter around the shoulders as if to agree with what he was saying. That only made Emma want to cry more.

“Dee Dee, what did you think of their redemption dance?” Tom asked.

“Well, now haven’t you come far?” Dee Dee said, her voice deliberate on every word. “I think there’s no doubt in anyone’s minds that you’ve had the biggest improvement over the course of the competition, and I am so glad I got to see you perform your first dance again. I mean, just look at the difference in your hip action!”

“She’s been practising very hard,” Alyssa interjected.

Barry spat out his drink for the second time that season. Emma choked on her own breath, cheeks flushing at the mental images her words evoked. She couldn’t quite believe that Alyssa had just said that. But Alyssa just smiled calmly, clearly knowing exactly what she’d done, and Emma shook her head in amazement.

“Off to the Sky Box with you,” Tom laughed, sending them on their way before Alyssa could cause even more chaos. Emma gripped onto her hand tightly, shaking her head to herself in amusement as they climbed the stairs together. She’d get her revenge at some point.

All thoughts of getting her own back on Alyssa were pushed aside when the judges gave them a perfect score. And although the score didn’t technically mean anything, it still made Emma want to jump up and down and hug them all. She hugged Alyssa instead, clinging tightly to her and hoping against hope that the audience vote would be enough to get them through.

* * *

Just before Alyssa went to change into her Freestyle costume, Shelby grabbed her by the wrist.

“Did you just imply on national television that you and Emma have been having sex?”

“Well, clearly _your _mind’s in the gutter,” Alyssa said. “All I said was that she’d been working a lot on her hip action.”

Shelby barked out a laugh. “Sure. I’m sure that’s exactly how you intended it.”

Alyssa grinned at her, and went to go past, but Shelby tightened her hold. Alyssa looked at her, confused, as Shelby’s expression turned more serious.

“Kaylee said that you encouraged her to talk to me,” she said. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Alyssa said, softening. “I just want both of you to be happy, whatever that means for each of you.”

“I am,” Shelby said. “Whatever happens, I’ve got my friend back. I told her how I feel, and I didn’t lose her.”

“She was scared of losing you, too,” Alyssa said, squeezing Shelby’s shoulder with her free hand. “I have to change. See you soon?”

“Yeah, see you soon,” Shelby said, releasing her hold on Alyssa’s wrist.

Alyssa went down to the dressing room, changing into the Freestyle costume that she’d laid out earlier. It was the first time she’d worn pants all season, which was kind of a novelty for her. The green waistcoat was a nice touch, though. Emma’s reaction to her costume had been hilarious, seeing as she herself was dressed in exactly the same thing. Alyssa, who had suspected as much as soon as Darlene had started fitting her costume, had been less surprised.

Once she was ready, Alyssa went back up to the Sky Box. Emma was already there, watching as Marcus and Shelby were just about to start their Freestyle. Alyssa hurried to join her, looking over the railings as the music began. Shelby had choreographed a very energetic and flashy dance, which played to all of Marcus’ strengths. It was, quite honestly, sensational.

Natalie and Jules, too, put on an incredible show, making up the slight ground they’d lost in their first dance of the night. Alyssa took a calming breath, waiting for it to be their turn. She knew that the routine she had choreographed wasn’t as trick-filled as the ones Shelby and Jules had come up with, but she was confident that it contained enough challenging content to really make an impression.

“Let’s go,” Emma said, holding out her hand for Alyssa to take.

Together, they made their way down to the dance floor. Alyssa’s heart was pounding in anticipation, the excitement of the moment outweighing the nerves she felt. She bounced on her toes lightly as she waited for the music to begin, settling herself fully just before the band started playing. Slow and sexy start.

The beginning of the routine was all about the accents of the movements. Alyssa had done her best to pay homage to Bob Fosse’s choreography in the opening section, but she’d been careful not to steal too many moves. Emma performed them well, really starting to play to the crowd. It brought a smile to Alyssa’s face to see her so confident in herself.

As the music sped up, so did the routine. The steps got faster and more elaborate, and there was definitely a sense of something building. The lift that Emma had been worried about earlier in the week went off without a hitch, Alyssa cartwheeling out of the hold and landing steadily on her own feet again. Every line was perfect. Every gesture was correctly placed. Every step had meaning.

Alyssa felt a strange sense of apprehension wash over her as soon as they finished the routine. She hadn’t considered it that much, but she and Emma might have just danced their last competitive routine on the show. It shouldn’t have been any different from almost all of the routines that they’d done in the weeks leading up to the final but, for some reason, it was.

Emma seemed to understand, as always, and laced their fingers together as they stood waiting for their feedback. She squeezed Alyssa’s hand, and the familiarity of the gesture comforted her somewhat.

“Ladies, that was right up my street,” Angie sing-songed, looking delighted. “The number of references in that – extremely challenging – routine was incredible. Props to your choreo, Alyssa. But, what’s more than that, it was performed with so much commitment. You two are like this century’s Fred and Ginger. I _loved _it.”

With Angie’s approval, Alyssa almost found herself tuning out the other judges’ comments. She felt bad about it, but she reasoned that she’d just ask Emma to repeat what they said later. Besides, nothing could top Angie’s ‘Fred and Ginger’ compliment. Right now, though, she could feel herself start to droop with exhaustion – both physical and mental.

She tuned back into the real world when their scores came in.

“Ten!”

“Ten!”

“Ten.”

Alyssa blew out a long breath, her mind buzzing at the two perfect scores she and Emma had achieved that night. She leaned her head on Emma’s shoulder as Trent reminded the viewers at home of the voting information, closing her eyes in contentment. She hoped it hadn’t been her and Emma’s last dance. She wanted to dance their Fusion. She wanted to dance their Waltz.

She wanted to dance everything with Emma.

* * *

**leigh **@alyssanolan: LOOK WHO’S HERE

**not kara **@emmanolan: in case you couldn’t tell from the pic ITS ME [quoted tweet from @alyssanolan: LOOK WHO’S HERE]

**alice **@wooloowoo: im so fucking proud of our lesbians now lets get them that trophy #dwts

**ocean **@zazzhands: ALYSSA IN PANTS AND A WAISTCOAT IMMA NEED A SECOND TO RECOVER

* * *

“No, don’t come in yet,” Emma called through the bathroom door. She frantically finished lighting candles, setting them on every available surface that wouldn’t mean setting fire to anything. She glanced around, doing a final check. “Okay, you can open the door.”

“Em, I just wanted to shower before bed, I don’t know what you’re up t—”

Alyssa cut herself off as she took in the room. Her eyes trailed over the candles, which were the only source of light, to the bathtub filled with steaming hot water and a sweet-smelling bubble bath mix. Finally, Alyssa turned to look at Emma with an awestruck expression on her face.

“What is…”

“Well,” Emma started, explaining a little hurriedly. “I was just thinking about how much you’ve put your body through over the last week, with all the dancing and stuff, and I thought this might help. I got told that bubble baths solve a lot of aches and pains.”

“You didn’t have to do all this,” Alyssa said, her voice soft.

Emma shrugged. “I wanted to.”

“I love you,” Alyssa said, and no matter how many times she heard those words fall from Alyssa’s mouth, it never failed to take Emma’s breath away.

“I love you, too,” Emma said, crossing the small distance between them and pressing a gentle kiss to Alyssa’s lips. “I’ll leave you to it.”

“Wait,” Alyssa said, her hands coming up to rest on Emma’s hips.

“What?”

Alyssa shrugged one shoulder, looking up at Emma a little hungrily. “We could… there’s room for two in that tub, right?”

“I…” Emma trailed off, her body warming up under Alyssa’s gaze. “I think there is. Only if you want me there, though.”

“Of course I want you there,” Alyssa murmured, leaning in and pressing their lips together in a more lingering kiss. “It sounds perfect.”

“Okay,” Emma whispered, taking a step back and pulling her shirt over her head. She took off the rest of her clothes, watching as Alyssa did the same, and put them in a pile by the door. Alyssa gathered her hair up into a bun, securing it with the tie on her wrist.

“After you,” she said, gesturing to the tub.

Emma let her eyes trail over Alyssa’s naked body. That was another thing that she knew would never fail to take her breath away, because Alyssa was _beautiful_. She climbed into the bathtub as gracefully as she could, sighing in contentment as soon as the hot water hit her skin. She settled with her back against the edge, already chest-deep in bubbles.

Alyssa climbed in after her, a lot smoother than Emma had done, and turned so that her back was to Emma. She lowered herself into the water, a quiet groan leaving her as she did, and moved backwards until she was sat between Emma’s legs and leaning against her front.

“This is nice,” she hummed.

Emma managed a strangled sound of agreement, kissing the back of Alyssa’s neck and smiling as she elicited a shiver. “Yeah, it is.”

“Thank you, for doing this for me,” Alyssa said quietly, leaning her head back on Emma’s shoulder so that their faces were next to each other. “The candles are beautiful. Was that one of your errands?”

“No, I just hoard candles,” Emma said.

Alyssa paused. “I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.”

“I know it’s not much, but I just thought you deserved something like this,” Emma said, resting her cheek against Alyssa’s and closing her eyes. She’d never taken a bath with anyone before, but if it was as nice as this, she and Alyssa might have to start doing it more often.

“You’re such a romantic. I love that about you,” Alyssa said honestly. Emma tried to ignore the thrill that went through her, as well as the nerves, as she thought about what she had planned for tomorrow.

“Baby, you have no idea.”

* * *

**Betsy Nolan **@pwrtothegran: I would like to take this opportunity to remind twitter to vote for my grand-daughter Emma and her partner Alyssa. Thank you. #dwts

**kara {stream sword} **@emmasnolans: @pwrtothegran anything for you queen

**hoe **@timewives: WAIT I JUST REMEMBERED WHAT ALYSSA SAID ABOUT EMMAS HIPS HELLO?? MISS GREENE?? SOMETHING YOUD LIKE TO SHARE??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading! i'm HOPING to have the final chapter up by the end of this weekend, motivation willing. as always, i live for validation and feedback, as well as general yelling and theorising. 
> 
> also, sorry about not revealing the 4th place couple in this chapter, but it's something that will be revealed fairly close to the start of chapter 11!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow so this is really it huh
> 
> thank you so so much to everyone who has read this fic, and especially to anyone who has commented or yelled at me in another way about this! it means more than i can put into words.
> 
> big thank you to dani for being my partner in crime on this. look at our baby!
> 
> nsfw content in this chapter, skip the first scene after the 2nd twitter break if you don't want to read that.
> 
> enjoy!

Chapter Eleven: Finals Week – Part Two

* * *

**what’s wrong with being confident?**

* * *

Alyssa was back at the studios by seven-thirty the next morning.

Emma had gotten better about being there early on show days, especially since they’d started dating, but she still looked like she was half-asleep even by the time they pulled into the lot, which made Alyssa very glad that she’d offered to drive today. She really hadn’t wanted Emma to fall asleep at the wheel and crash on their way to the dress rehearsal.

“Come on,” Alyssa said, opening the driver’s side door before walking around the car to open Emma’s door for her. Emma gave her a tired smile before pulling herself out.

“At least this is the last early-morning start for the show,” she said, shutting the door behind her and waiting for Alyssa to lock the car.

“Yeah, something tells me you’re not going to miss these,” Alyssa laughed. Regardless of their placing within the top four, they’d be required for the show tomorrow, but they wouldn’t have to get there until midday, as there were far fewer dances to run through.

As Alyssa walked in, she let herself enjoy the relative calm before the storm. There were quite a few crew members milling around already, greeting them as they made their way in the direction of the dance floor. Alyssa admittedly didn’t know many of them all that well, but she was still going to miss them once the season was over.

By the time she and Emma reached the main building where the show was actually broadcast from, the band were just about to take their seats and play through the music that would potentially be featured in the show, dependant on which couple were to be eliminated. Catching hold of Emma’s hand without hesitation, Alyssa led her over to watch.

“Can you believe this is the last time we’re going to be doing this?” she murmured.

“It’s so weird,” Emma said, coming to a stop at the edge of the dance floor. She waved at the guy on the bass guitar, who gave her a ‘rock on’ sign back. Emma snorted under her breath.

“I should’ve known you’d befriend the band.”

Emma grinned at her. “I found my people. They’re super nice, actually.”

“I’m glad,” Alyssa said, nudging her. “Hey, maybe they’ll play our songs the best.”

“Maybe.”

Alyssa settled in to watch the band play through the songs in order. _Confident _sounded incredible; the energy behind the instrumentation was powerful, and the singer’s vocal talent was amazing. Alyssa grew more and more excited about hopefully performing their Fusion dance later.

It was when the band cycled back through everyone’s songs for their favorite dances that Alyssa started to feel a little emotional. It was so weird to hear the songs that the other couples had chosen as their final dance; the music evoking so many memories of first seeing each routine being performed.

_A Thousand Years _started, and Alyssa bit her bottom lip as she let the music wash over her. She leaned into Emma, who disentangled their hands only to wrap both of her arms around Alyssa’s shoulders. Alyssa wrapped hers around Emma’s middle, smiling as she watched the band play in perfect harmony.

“I can’t wait to waltz with you again,” she said.

Emma cleared her throat. “Well, even if we don’t get to do it for real, we’ll still have the dress run.”

“Yeah,” Alyssa said. “But I want everyone to see it again. I want everyone to see that two women dancing together, in love, is the most natural thing in the world.”

She could see Emma blush at the memory of saying something so similar and yet so different all those weeks ago. Because so much had changed for them since then, and it was the most incredible journey Alyssa felt like she’d ever been on. And, what was more, it was a journey that she knew would continue past the end of the season.

She hoped the journey would never end.

* * *

There was a break in proceedings halfway through the morning while the crew discussed whether or not to alter one of the more elaborate lighting rigs. In order to stay warmed up, some of the dancers were gathering in the dressing rooms and playing their own music, which was how Emma found herself dancing around a room that was too small for it with Alyssa, Kaylee, Shelby, Jules, and Kevin.

Now that Kaylee and Shelby had seemingly talked things out (Alyssa hadn’t said anything to her, per se, but it didn’t take a genius to see that they were friends again), the group dynamic was a lot more comfortable. The two of them looked happier than they had in a long while.

“How was it seeing Nick again in rehearsal this week?” Kevin asked, loud enough to be heard over the music coming from Alyssa’s phone. Emma tensed a little, taking a seat on one of the tables, but Kaylee just shrugged.

“A little weird,” she admitted. “But we were in the group with all the others, and everyone here has pretty much forgotten about the fake relationship scandal already. So, it wasn’t too bad.”

“Has he fired his publicist yet?” Alyssa asked with a frown.

“Not yet.”

Shelby glowered. “Good to know that awful people like her are still in work and untouchable while you get all the online hate.”

“I’m trying not to think about it,” Kaylee said, grimacing a bit. Her expression cleared, and she grabbed Shelby’s hand to spin her under her arm. “Life’s too short.”

The song changed to _El Tango de Roxanne_, catching Emma by complete surprise, and she saw Shelby dramatically offer her hand to Kaylee before pulling her into a Tango hold. In amongst the others, they began to dance, completely unable to keep the serious expressions on their faces. Memories of dancing to this song flooded Emma’s mind, and she glanced over at Alyssa to see her girlfriend smirking, her phone clutched in her hand.

At the end of the song, Kaylee and Shelby dissolved into fits of laughter, Shelby doing her best to keep Kaylee upright. That turned into Kaylee leaning against Shelby with a level of comfort Emma wasn’t sure she’d seen from them in her short time of knowing them as friends.

“Always wanted to dance with a woman,” Kaylee said.

Shelby smiled at her. “And?”

“You’re a much better leader than Nick.”

Alyssa pushed from the table she had been leaning on, crossing the room to come and sit by Emma instead. Emma’s eyes trailed over her body; her red Fusion dress and the same hairstyle that she’d be wearing for their Waltz – loose with a braided crown. She looked incredible.

“Hi,” Emma said, holding her hand out for Alyssa to take, which she did without pause.

“Hey,” she said, sitting closer than she usually did when they weren’t alone. It made Emma’s heart race.

“Nice song choice,” Emma said lowly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure.”

Alyssa bit her bottom lip, shrugging a shoulder. “I thought that maybe if it worked for us, it might work for them, too.”

“Solid theory,” Emma said. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”

“Can we tell them? About us, I mean.”

“Yeah,” Emma breathed. Her stomach flipped. “Yeah, if you want to.”

“I want to,” Alyssa said, nodding decisively. “It won’t be news to most of them, but I still want to tell them.”

“I do, too,” Emma said, a smile spreading hopelessly quickly across her face.

“Okay,” Alyssa said, grinning wide enough for her dimple to come out before turning her attention to their friends and raising her voice. “Hey, guys? Can I share something with you real quick?”

Four heads turned in their direction. Emma saw Shelby’s eyes drop to their joined hands before her lips quirked up in a knowing smirk. Alyssa cleared her throat.

“Emma and I are together,” she said, the words falling easily from her lips. “Just… wanted you guys to be the first ones we officially told.”

Kaylee squealed excitedly. “I knew it.”

“I told you, man,” Jules said, clapping a confused Kevin on the shoulder. “I told you.”

“Is this what the weirdness in that one Jive rehearsal was about?” Kevin asked slowly. Emma coughed, her cheeks heating up.

“Uh… yes,” she said. “We were still kind of… figuring everything out, at that point.”

“Oh, okay,” Kevin said agreeably, his expression clearing of consternation. “I’m happy you figured it out.”

“Thanks, Kev,” Alyssa said, her thumb brushing over Emma’s. “We made it official about two weeks ago but, yeah…” she looked at Emma with a slightly embarrassed expression on her face. “It was kinda a long time coming.”

“You’re not wrong,” Shelby said, raising her eyebrows. “And it would’ve been an even longer time coming without me.”

Alyssa rolled her eyes fondly, and Emma tried and failed to hold in a laugh. “I suppose.”

“You suppose?”

“Thank you, Shelby,” Alyssa said, softer. “Really. For talking sense into me.”

“And me,” Emma said. “Although I think Carrie deserves some credit for that, too.”

“Yeah, she talked to me, too, come to think about it,” Alyssa said. “Oh, God. We owe so many people.”

“Shelby, Carrie, Kaylee—” Emma inclined her head to Kaylee, who beamed. “My grandmother, Darlene…”

“Darlene?” Jules furrowed his brow.

Alyssa gestured at Emma. “She was the one who put Emma in suspenders. She’s the one who’s made it so I can’t even look at Emma in costume without—”

She cut herself off with wide eyes, and their friends howled with laughter. Emma, knowing she was blushing ridiculously hard too, pressed a kiss to Alyssa’s forehead. Alyssa’s body relaxed into hers, like always, and Emma didn’t think she’d ever felt like part of a friendship group quite like this.

* * *

After the break was over, it was time to change into their final costumes and run the favorite dances.

Alyssa smoothed out her white sleeveless dress, loving the feeling of the soft fabric beneath her fingers. The dress was gorgeous, and light, and perfect for waltzing in, but looking at her reflection was making butterflies erupt in her stomach for a reason unrelated to her usual pre-show jitters. Emma hadn’t been wrong when she’d mentioned Darlene earlier, because there was no getting around the fact that the costumes she’d designed for this Waltz were more than a little wedding-inspired.

It hadn’t been as big of a deal the first time around. Sure, Alyssa had known that she liked Emma by the time it came to dancing on the show, but now she knew that she was in love with her. Now they were actually in a relationship, and Alyssa didn’t know how Emma would feel about seeing her in this dress after the massive change their relationship had undergone in the past seven weeks.

Alyssa knew that it was _way _too early to even be considering the possibility of doing this with Emma for real one day. And yet, the butterflies were still there. She held herself back from raking a hand through her hair, careful to not mess up the braided crown or the perfectly styled curls, instead twisting her hands together in anticipation before finally stepping away from the mirror and out of the dressing room.

She walked down the familiar corridor towards the dance floor with her heart beating double time, knowing that Emma would already be waiting for her. She didn’t pass anyone on the way; everyone was hard at work with the dress rehearsal. In fact, Emma was the first person Alyssa saw as she approached the floor.

She had her back to her, watching Natalie and Jules’ eighties-inspired Jive from Eras Week. Hair and makeup hadn’t been able to go as wild with Natalie’s hair this week, since she had another dance to think about, but her and Jules’ costumes were still very much a mix of denim fabric and neon colors. Alyssa took a deep breath and walked over to her.

“How do they have the energy?” she wondered aloud, coming to a stop by Emma’s side.

Emma laughed. “I really don’t…”

Her voice trailed off as she turned to look at her, eyes immediately falling to Alyssa’s dress. Alyssa’s own gaze trailed over Emma’s outfit, the butterflies increasing. Emma had the top few buttons of her white shirt unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled to the elbows. The untied black bowtie rested around her collar, her hair falling in blonde curls to her chin. She was a vision.

“Wow,” Emma murmured, her face flushing. “Just… wow.”

“I know the feeling,” Alyssa said. “God, I’m the luckiest woman alive.”

“I’ll fight you for that title,” Emma said weakly.

Alyssa swallowed, her eyes fixed on Emma’s pink lips. “Ready for this?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

* * *

“Yes, the dress rehearsal went great,” Emma said, shrugging on an open red shirt over the black crop top she was wearing while trying not to let her phone clatter to the ground. “We go live in about three hours.”

“Are you nervous?” Betsy asked, on the other end of the line. “Wait. Stupid question.”

Emma laughed. “Yes, gran, I’m nervous. But I’ll be better once that damn elimination is over. It sucks not knowing whether or not we’re dancing tonight.”

She met Carrie and Natalie’s eyes in the mirror, both of them grimacing in agreement. Natalie, already completely changed, waved goodbye and left. Carrie was sat in one of the chairs, ostensibly touching up her own makeup instead of going to one of the artists in the department. Emma felt a sudden wave of affection for her.

“Stay positive, sweetheart,” Betsy encouraged. “I’ve been trying to stir up as much support for you and Alyssa as I can.”

“Thank you,” Emma said softly. “I just, um, don’t want to let Alyssa down.”

Carrie glanced up at her, Emma could see it out of the corner of her eye, but she kept her eyes firmly on herself in the mirror. On the phone, her grandma made a sympathetic noise.

“I’m sure she’s already told you this, but even if you come in fourth, you’re not going to let her down,” she said.

“I just really want to dance with her tonight.”

“I know you do,” Betsy said softly. “I know you do.”

“I—I actually wanted to tell you something,” Emma said, fiddling with the hem of her shirt with her free hand and glancing at Carrie, who wasn’t even trying to hide her eavesdropping on Emma’s side of the conversation.

“What is it?”

Emma took a deep breath, unsure exactly why she was nervous to say this. “Alyssa and I are dating.”

She saw Carrie grin triumphantly. On the line, Betsy made a strangled laughing sound.

“Well… it’s about damn time.”

“Shut up,” Emma said with a grin. “We told her friends – or, I guess they’re my friends now, too – earlier and she said she wanted you to know as well.”

“When did you get together?” Betsy asked. “I want to know if my poll answer was right.”

“Oh my God.”

“How long, Emma?” her grandma asked, barely concealing a cackle.

Emma narrowed her eyes, even though she knew her gran couldn’t see it. “Two weeks ago.”

“Hm,” Betsy said. “That’s not specific enough.”

“After the Monday live show,” Emma said, lowering her voice. It did no use; Carrie still snorted and raised her eyebrows suggestively.

“Knew it,” Betsy said gleefully. “I _knew _something seemed different on the elimination show!”

“Okay, well…” Emma sighed, but there was a grin on her face. “I’d rather not talk about _that _with you.”

“Coward.”

“_Gran_,” Emma hissed. She reached out to smack Carrie’s arm without looking. “Oh, would you look at that. I have to go now.”

Betsy laughed. “Sure you do, honey. Break a leg tonight, by the way.”

“Thanks,” Emma said. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Emma said goodbye and hung up, puffing out her cheeks and shaking her head at Carrie’s laughter.

“Don’t even start.”

“But there’s just so much to unpack,” Carrie said, leaning her chin on her hand. “You and Alyssa are dating?”

Emma scoffed. “Don’t act like you didn’t _tell _me you already knew literally days after we got together.”

“Yeah, but it’s another thing for you to actually confirm it,” Carrie pointed out, her shit-eating smile softening. “So, I take it Alyssa’s ready to start coming out officially? Good for her.”

“Yeah,” Emma said, biting her lip in an attempt to stifle the grin taking over her face. “Yeah, she is. I think we’re going to go public after the season’s over.”

“That’s amazing,” Carrie said. “I’m happy for you two.”

“Thanks,” Emma said quietly. “And thank you for your advice over the past few months. And your friendship.”

“This better not be goodbye, Nolan,” Carrie said warningly. “I’m in this friendship for good, you know.”

“I am, too,” Emma laughed. “Promise. I just wanted to say thank you for helping me get my shit together.”

“It’s been an honor,” Carrie said, holding her hand over her heart dramatically.

Emma snorted, pushing her a little on her way out the door. She took a deep breath, setting off down the corridor with purpose. There may have been a few hours before they went live, but there were still a few things she needed to do.

* * *

Alyssa sat on a chair on the upper level of seating after recording her final private interview, looking down at the crew as they finalized everything ready for broadcast. With a little under two hours until they went live, it meant that she had approximately forty-five minutes until the audience started filing into the studio and taking their seats. She’d wanted some peace and quiet from the general stress in the air down on the floor level, and Emma was off doing her own thing before the show, and so Alyssa was taking the time to just sit and breathe.

It helped to keep her nerves at bay.

But it seemed that she wasn’t the only one who had chosen to seek refuge up here, because then Kaylee sat down next to her with a small smile. Alyssa returned it, noting that there was far less tension rolling off her than there had been for weeks.

“Hey, Kayls.”

“Hey,” Kaylee said. “I’m not disturbing you, am I?”

Alyssa shook her head. “No, you’re good. I was starting to get a bit lonely anyway.”

“Where’s your girlfriend?”

“Probably playing tag with the band,” Alyssa chuckled, a warmth spreading through her body at hearing someone refer to Emma as her girlfriend.

Kaylee smiled. “How are you feeling about tonight?”

“Nervous,” Alyssa said. She lifted one shoulder and dropped it again in a little half-shrug. “Shocking, I know. I’ll manage. How about you?”

“Oh, I’m fine,” Kaylee said immediately. “I’m more fine than I’ve been all season, actually.”

Regarding her for a moment, Alyssa could see in her face just how true that was. “I’m glad.”

“I’ve been doing so much thinking lately,” Kaylee said, leaning back in her chair. “Thinking about the whole thing with Nick, and his publicist. Thinking about Shelby. Thinking about… I don’t know. Girls in general?”

“Come to any conclusions?” Alyssa asked casually.

“I think… maybe,” Kaylee said slowly. “I guess seeing you and Emma be together, and it being so natural and comfortable… it helped me.”

“Really?”

Kaylee’s expression turned thoughtful. “I think part of my confusion over Shelby was that I didn’t really have a picture of what a relationship would look like between me and another woman. I’d never thought about it before Shelby… before she told me how she felt.”

“What about now?” Alyssa asked, her voice quieter now. Hope on her friends’ behalf sparked in her chest.

“Now… I can see it clearer,” Kaylee said slowly. “When I look at you and Emma, all I see is warmth and comfort and familiarity, and it’s—it looks nice. And… and now I can’t stop wondering if I could have that one day, with a woman, and it’s a little scary but it’s also kind of freeing.”

“Sounds like maybe things are starting to unjumble themselves,” Alyssa said carefully, not wanting to spook her by asking her if she meant with Shelby specifically.

Kaylee chewed on her bottom lip. “I think maybe they are.”

Alyssa wanted to press further, but something held her back. She thought that if anyone was supposed to hear what Kaylee was really thinking, then it should be Shelby. Instead, she wrapped her arm around her friend’s shoulders in a side-hug, knocking their heads together gently and feeling Kaylee exhale next to her.

“Everything’s gonna work out fine,” she said. “For both of us.”

She sounded a lot more relaxed than she felt.

* * *

In the final minutes before the show, Emma found herself gathered backstage with Carrie, Natalie and Marcus.

Suddenly, it hit her just how far the four of them had come over the past almost three months. Emma certainly remembered how badly her first dance lesson had gone. And yet, here she was, in the final four of the season. Up against two athletes, who had started with the technical edge, and an actor, who had started with the artistic edge. She’d had neither, but she was still there.

“How are you feeling?” Carrie asked lowly, nudging her in the side.

Emma blew out a long breath. “I don’t know. Weird.”

“Yeah, I get that.”

“Like, this could be it,” Emma said, tapping her fingers against her chin. “I might be out, and not dance either of the two routines. Or I could still be in. I think I’ll be better once I know.”

“You and me both,” Marcus said. He looked uncharacteristically jittery compared to his usual composure. “I think this elimination is the worst one of the season.”

Carrie nodded in agreement. “For sure. How about you, Natalie? How are you dealing?”

Natalie stared straight ahead, grimacing a little. That was unusual, too; normally Natalie was very friendly and bubbly. Maybe it was her way of showing nerves, or trying to beat them.

“She’s in the zone,” Marcus supplied helpfully. “It’s what she does before a race, I think.”

“Makes sense,” Emma said. There was a long silence, the hustle and bustle around them intensifying. “Everyone break a leg, I guess.”

“How about I break your leg?” Carrie laughed. Emma glared playfully at her.

“Then I’ll return the favor, and then some. I’d like to see you dance or skate on _two_broken legs.”

Carrie narrowed her eyes. “Oh, it’s on.”

“It is,” Emma agreed, ducking a slow punch.

“Hands in?” Marcus suggested. “Just to be sentimental?”

Emma put her hand on top of his. Carrie put her hand in, too, and even Natalie came out of her trance long enough to smile at them all and join the circle. They stood there for a while, not quite knowing what came next.

“We should’ve agreed on something to say on three,” Carrie said.

“This is why we have professional partners,” Emma said. “Because now this is just awkward.”

“Spray tan, on three,” Carrie said. Marcus and Natalie rolled their eyes. Emma groaned audibly.

“Oh, fuck you.”

* * *

“Welcome back to the second night of the grand final,” Tom Hawkins said.

The lights were dim and the background music was tense. Alyssa took a shaky breath, seeking comfort by leaning back into Emma’s body. She felt Emma’s arms tighten around her waist. Emma was shaking, she noticed, maybe even more than Alyssa herself was.

“As you can see, four couples stand before us,” Trent said solemnly. “However, only three spots remain in tonight’s order. Your votes, which were worth one hundred per cent of this result, have been counted and verified.”

“Before we deliver the results, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of our competitors for your hard work throughout the season,” Tom said. Alyssa barely heard him over the sound of her heart pounding loudly in her ears. She imagined her mom, sat on the couch at home, yelling at the television to hurry up.

“Yes, the competitors this season have truly exemplified the spirit of learning, and pushing themselves beyond their comfort levels,” Trent agreed. “None more than these four celebrities standing in front of us. And, for that, we salute them.”

Emma groaned quietly, bringing a fleeting smile to Alyssa’s face. She wondered just how much airtime they had to fill. Surely if the elimination process took this long then there was time for all four couples to dance again. But, apparently, there just had to be a twist.

“And now, without further ado…” Trent continued. “The first couple still in the competition is…”

Alyssa closed her eyes. Her hand tightened in Emma’s hair.

“Carrie and Elliott!”

Letting out a ragged breath that was equal parts pain and relief, Alyssa opened her eyes to see Carrie hugging her dance partner tightly. She had a hand over her face. Alyssa wondered if she was crying. Emma’s chin was resting on Alyssa’s shoulder as she watched them, although she returned to her usual position of hiding her face in Alyssa’s hair soon after.

“The second couple dancing again tonight will be…” Tom said, pausing for long enough that Alyssa wondered – not for the first time – if the two men were competing against each other. “Marcus and Shelby!”

A sickening feeling coiled tightly in Alyssa’s stomach. Marcus punched the air, and Shelby let out a surprised yell, before they turned to each other and embraced. Marcus ran a hand through his hair as they separated, looking in complete and total shock. Shelby had tears in her eyes, looking up at the Sky Box with a grin that almost split her face. In the darkness, Alyssa thought she could make out Kaylee up there, jumping up and down in excitement.

“Only one place remains,” Trent pointed out. Alyssa wanted to murder him. “The final couple still in the competition is…”

The music changed, becoming somehow even more intense. Alyssa screwed her eyes shut again, not wanting to look, as if it would somehow make it easier. Either she and Emma were about to be eliminated, or she was going to have to watch her friend, and partner for the pro dances, leave the competition. She felt awful, but she knew which option she’d rather experience.

Trent took a deep breath. “Emma and Alyssa!”

Alyssa’s eyes flew open, her jaw dropping in shock. There was a strange buzzing in her ears, blocking out almost all sound, and all she could see was the shadowy figures of the audience, and the two hosts beaming at her. Only the sob that Emma choked on got through to her brain, her face still buried in Alyssa’s hair. She spun around to face her, wrapping her arms around Emma’s neck and holding onto her for dear life.

Emma was trembling in her arms. Alyssa was positive that she was, too. All she could think about was how she’d get two more dances with the love of her life before the season was over. She intended to enjoy every last second of them, but for now, she just let herself hold Emma, and be held by her, and just exist in the eye of the storm.

Eventually, she had to let go, if only to make her way over to Natalie and Jules and hug them both. They looked about as upset as Alyssa thought they would, and her heart went out to them. It must’ve been a horrible feeling, having prepared two dances only to be told at the last moment that they weren’t allowed to perform them. Jules smiled ruefully at her as he pulled back from the hug.

“Break a leg, Greene,” he said. “Don’t tell anyone, but I’m rooting for you.”

“Thank you,” Alyssa whispered, hugging him again. “Thank you.”

* * *

**jojo is tired **@dwtstans: this is so CRUEL #dwts

**kara {stream sword} **@emmasnolans: @dwtstans finally something we agree on

**not kara **@emmagreene: i still dont like ****

**jojo is tired **@dwtstans: @emmagreene I know that’s me

**leigh **@alyssanolan: kara just said “ABORT MISSION” out loud and threw her phone on the floor why is she so fucking cute

**leigh **@alyssanolan: wait mayhaps i should delete that tweet

**leigh **@alyssanolan: ANYWAY WHO’S READY FOR SOME MORE DANCING I KNOW I AM

* * *

The commercial break immediately following the elimination was utter chaos.

Emma pulled herself together as best she could, heading up to the Sky Box to get ready. Since Natalie and Jules were gone from the order, it meant that she and Alyssa would now dance second. Around her, people were congratulating and commiserating and weaving in and out of the crowd to find each other. Through it all, Alyssa’s hand in hers was the only thing keeping Emma steady.

Order was restored by the time they came back on air, and then Emma was watching Marcus and Shelby take to the floor for their Contemporary/Foxtrot Fusion, and trying not to forget the steps to her own Fusion routine. Alyssa squeezed her hand, bringing her back down to earth, and then she was okay again.

When it was their turn, Emma was so focused on not tripping and falling down the stairs that she barely noticed the video package starting to play on the screen. Her own voice caught her attention, though, and she jerked her head up to watch her solo interview from earlier in the day.

“Alyssa has been the most incredible person to get to know over the past eleven weeks,” she was saying, looking down at her hands instead of at the person asking her questions behind the camera. “Right from the start she was patient and understanding, and she’s such a good dancer and teacher that it made learning how to dance a lot easier than I’d been afraid it was going to be. I can’t thank her enough, and I just hope that I do her teaching justice out there tonight.”

The picture switched to Alyssa in her own interview, grinning bashfully.

“I felt an instant connection to Emma,” she said. “She was scared and unsure of herself to start with and I know how that feels, but the dancer she’s grown into over the course of the competition… I’m just so proud of her. She’s so confident now, in the way she moves, and I picked the song for our Fusion dance to really reflect that and how far she’s come. I wouldn’t trade my time with her for anything. She’s…” the Alyssa in the video paused. “She’s truly special.”

Emma glanced over at Alyssa as they reached their starting position on the dance floor. Alyssa smiled at her, shrugging a little like she hadn’t just warmed Emma’s heart so much that it felt as if it was on fire. A lightning bolt of pure emotion went through her at the prospect of waltzing with Alyssa later, but for now, she tried to focus on the dance she was about to do.

As soon as the almost fanfare-like intro started playing, Emma felt energy surging through her veins. She met Alyssa’s eyes, a smile tugging at her lips as they started moving before the beat kicked in. Tango and Paso Doble certainly made for an interesting mix of styles, in Emma’s opinion, and the song only added to the intensity of the routine that Alyssa had choreographed.

She could hear the drums beating loudly in her head, keeping her eyes locked on Alyssa’s as they danced. She kept her core muscles engaged, her back straight, her movements sharp. There was a glint in Alyssa’s eyes that Emma had become all too familiar with lately, drawing her further and further under her girlfriend’s spell, and she went with no resistance.

Alyssa crooked a finger at her, backing up down the middle of the floor. Emma smirked at her, shrugging out of the open shirt she was wearing and tossing it behind her before striding after her. As she got closer, she saw Alyssa’s eyes drop to her midriff. She put a hand on Emma’s sternum, gaining the upper hand once more and marching her back the way she came. It was a game they were playing during this dance, and Emma was loving every single second of it.

The sections in the Tango hold were the biggest test of Emma’s self-restraint, however. Feeling Alyssa’s body so close to hers always did things to her head, and the beat of the song thumping through her body wasn’t helping any. Whenever they snapped their heads around to look at each other, or whenever they were out of hold, Emma could see the desire in Alyssa’s eyes, a sure mirror of her own staring back at her. Alyssa’s brown eyes were dark, her pupils blown, her expression hungry.

Emma wasn’t sure how they got to the end of the routine.

The next thing she knew, she was back up in the Sky Box with her arm around Alyssa’s waist. Her red shirt was somewhere, although Emma didn’t know where, so she was standing there in a crop top feeling kind of silly in front of the cameras as Trent bumbled his way through a short interview. Needless to say, Alyssa was doing the talking.

A couple of minutes and three more tens from the judges later (Emma was wondering if they were just handing out perfect scores for the hell of it now), she and Alyssa were hurrying back to the dressing rooms to get changed into their Waltz costumes. Emma’s head was reeling as they walked down the corridor in the direction of the dressing rooms, still unsure if that Fusion dance – or, indeed, the night so far – had been real.

“Wait a second,” Alyssa whispered, just before they separated to go into their respective rooms. Emma turned to her, confused, but all became clear a moment later when Alyssa pushed her against the wall with the length of her body and kissed her. Emma’s mind went completely blank once more, kissing Alyssa back fiercely.

She couldn’t hold back a whimper when Alyssa’s teeth teased her bottom lip, her hands coming up to tangle in Alyssa’s hair before she thought better of it at the last second and cupped her face instead. Alyssa’s hands burned Emma where they were set against the bare skin of her waist.

Alyssa pulled back after a few moments, Emma’s eyes opening to see a satisfied expression on her face. Her lipstick was smudged, but her eyes were alight, and Emma knew in that moment that the potentially risky place that she’d kissed her hadn’t been a mistake. Alyssa really wasn’t scared to be seen with her, or to make it clear that they belonged to each other.

“Okay,” Alyssa murmured. “You can go change now. I just needed to…”

“I know the feeling,” Emma said breathlessly, smiling giddily at her before they went their separate ways.

The dresser helping her change didn’t say a word as she offered Emma a makeup wipe and gestured to her mouth.

* * *

Alyssa reunited with Emma back up in the Sky Box just as Carrie and Elliott were receiving feedback for their Fusion. She made a mental note to watch their performance tomorrow morning. Her heart was beating fast in her chest as she watched the crew set up for Marcus and Shelby’s favorite dance during the commercial break, knowing that in less than ten minutes’ time, that would be her and Emma.

Emma was jittery at her side, bouncing up and down on her toes and chewing on her own bottom lip in what seemed like nervous anticipation. Alyssa knocked their shoulders together softly, making her jump a little before she covered it with a smile. It didn’t necessarily worry Alyssa, but it did make her even more determined to make sure that Emma was at ease and able to fully enjoy their last official dance on the show.

On the floor, Tom turned to the camera. “After the break, singer-songwriter Emma Nolan, and her professional partner Alyssa Greene, take to the floor one final time in a bid to become your champions. Don’t go anywhere.”

The show cut to commercial for what felt like the millionth time this season, and the red light on the camera in front of Alyssa went out. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the nerves fluttering in her belly, and held out her hand to Emma.

“May I have this dance?” she asked quietly.

Emma exhaled shakily. “You may.”

Their palms slid together, Emma interlacing their fingers slowly. Alyssa swallowed when they got the go-ahead to descend the staircase, a smile flickering across her face as the well-wishes of her friends reached her ears through the haze. She glanced up at Emma, who was as pale as her shirt; she looked that scared.

“It’ll be okay,” Alyssa said. “It’s just me and you out there.”

“Okay,” Emma said with a stiff nod. “Just us.”

“And nobody else.”

The show came back from the break, and straight into the video package. Alyssa recognized the interview from one of their rehearsals during the past week, the two of them sitting side-by-side in their studio. The voice of the man interviewing them was heard, his words subtitled on the screen.

“And what have you chosen for your favorite dance of the season?”

The Emma on the screen smiled at Alyssa before turning to the front. “The Waltz.”

“Any particular reason?”

“Because it’s our favorite.”

The video continued, but Alyssa was suddenly lost in her memories of the first time they’d danced this routine on television, and all that had gone into the rehearsal and the crafting of it. She remembered Emma saying how much the song meant to her, and she remembered her own realization of her feelings for Emma during rehearsal for this dance. She remembered making Barry cry. She remembered the look in Emma’s eyes as they’d waltzed together on this very floor.

The video cut back to Emma’s interview from earlier today. Her eyes were shining.

“I don’t—I don’t want this dance to end.”

The whispers of fog swirled around Alyssa’s feet as she took her starting position. The silvery lighting was haunting, and before the song started there was a moment of absolute stillness. During that moment, Alyssa took a deep breath, held it, and released it.

It was time.

Behind her, the first notes of piano started to play. Something about the sound was a little different, but Alyssa couldn’t put her finger on it. Maybe she was still hearing sounds in that same faraway style as she had been before they’d descended the stairs. Either way, it didn’t bother her, because then her feet were carrying her across the floor to Emma.

She had just reached her when the song’s intro ended, and the words began. But, instead of the band’s singer who had been singing the song in the dress rehearsal, the voice that washed over her was Emma’s. Tears immediately sprung to Alyssa’s eyes as soon as she realized what was happening.

The song was a recording.

Her body carried on with the dance, but Alyssa’s mind was solely focused on the way Emma was looking at her. She could see equal parts nerves and softness in her expression and, suddenly, so many things over the past week made so much more sense.

Emma saying that she would sing to her more often.

The errands she’d been running on Saturday.

What she’d said last night.

Her friendship with the band.

Alyssa couldn’t look away from Emma’s eyes as they danced, shadowing each other with her arms crossed in front of her so that she could reach behind her and hold Emma’s hands. She felt light, and floaty, and like she couldn’t possibly keep all the love she felt inside because Emma was perfect.

Emma knew what this dance meant to her, and she’d decided to record her own version of it. Her own version, with _her _sweet voice singing the words to Alyssa as if they were her own, and Alyssa suddenly remembered looking through Emma’s Instagram highlights, weeks ago now, and privately wishing that she could use one of her covers for a performance.

Alyssa could feel tears falling steadily down her cheeks. They blurred her vision slightly, but she could still see Emma right in front of her as they continued the dance. She cupped Emma’s cheek with one hand, feeling Emma’s own hand mirror the action as they spun across the floor. She closed her eyes, shivering as Emma’s lips brushed her ear.

“_I have died every day waiting for you_.”

It was if all the air left Alyssa’s lungs in that moment, because Emma was quietly singing along with the track, and it brought Alyssa back to that day in the rehearsal room when Emma had turned her whole world around by saying that she would wait forever for her, like it was the easiest thing in the universe.

Alyssa pulled back, opening her eyes as Emma brought them back into hold for the next part of the dance. Their head positioning meant that Alyssa couldn’t see her face anymore, but she could still hear her. She could still just about feel the vibration of the song in Emma’s chest where it was pressed against her own.

“_Darling don’t be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years_.”

Alyssa bit her bottom lip, swallowing thickly.

“_I’ll love you for a thousand more_.”

She couldn’t believe this was actually happening. This was Emma, telling everyone in somehow the grandest and yet the most intimate and private way, that she was in love with her, and always would be. This was, simply put, the most amazing thing that anyone had ever done for her.

The dance seemed to pass in slow-motion, and yet it ended far too soon. Alyssa slid her hands into Emma’s hair, leaning into her embrace as she dipped her. Emma’s forehead was pressed against her own as she followed her down, her hands strong on her back and keeping them close and her eyes locked on Alyssa’s. Her face was still a little blurry, but the moment was perfectly imprinted in Alyssa’s mind.

She didn’t hear any of the audience’s cheers, or the recording finishing. She couldn’t hear anything. She could only see. And what she saw was her future, gazing back at her with the most tender expression she’d ever seen.

All too soon, Emma was bringing them both back upright. Alyssa buried her face in Emma’s collar, the sobs wracking her body as the reality of what had just happened started to set in. Emma’s arms were warm around her waist, holding her gently as if she might break. Alyssa half wondered if she was going to.

“I love you,” she whispered into Emma’s neck, the words coming out around a gasp. “I love you, Emma Nolan.”

Emma’s whole body relaxed, like she’d been worried about how Alyssa was going to react to it all, and her arms tightened around her until they were both clinging onto each other in the middle of the floor. Alyssa didn’t ever want to let her go.

Eventually, though, she had to.

Sniffing, and biting her lip softly as Emma wiped the tears from her cheeks for her, Alyssa slowly led them over to the judges’ table. The noise of the outside world closed in on her once more, and it was deafening. She clung onto Emma’s hand, holding onto her forearm with her free hand as they stopped by Tom.

“I… I can’t…” Tom’s eyes looked a little misty, too. “Angie?”

“I—I don’t think there’s ever been a pairing on the show quite like this,” Angie said, accepting a tissue from Barry. Alyssa blinked, resting her cheek on Emma’s shoulder and suddenly realizing that all three of the judges were teary-eyed. Barry was outright sniffling. “I’m trying to… um… Barry?”

Barry scoffed. “Don’t look at me for help. I’m a mess. Dee Dee?”

“I don’t get paid enough to deal with you two,” Dee Dee said, but she was wiping at her own eyes. “Ladies, that was… that was real, and it was beautiful, and it was – bearing in mind that I don’t use this word lightly – perfect. It didn’t feel as if we were watching a performance. It felt as if we were watching a _moment_.”

“That was so eloquent,” Barry said, fresh tears spilling down his cheeks. “Leave us, now.”

“You heard him,” Tom said, laying a gentle hand on Emma’s shoulder and beaming at her. “Up to the Sky Box while we get these three presentable again.”

The walk across the floor to the Sky Box had never felt so long. Alyssa gripped Emma’s hand tightly, still in complete awe over what the past five minutes had been. They climbed the stairs, Alyssa seeing as they got closer that it wasn’t just the judges that had been affected by the dance.

Trent quickly stuffed his handkerchief back into his breast pocket. “That looked like a surprise to you, Alyssa.”

“It—It was,” Alyssa managed hoarsely. “I had no idea.”

“How did you manage to pull this off?” Trent asked, turning his attention to Emma.

“Well…” Emma swallowed, glancing down at her shoes. “The band are very generous with their time, and the crew members in charge of tech don’t get to mix things up too much, so… with less difficulty than I’d feared. After that, it was just a case of not slipping up.”

Alyssa shook her head in amazement, a sudden burst of confidence driving her to press a kiss to Emma’s cheek. Emma choked on a stuttered breath, leaning into it, and Alyssa rested her forehead against Emma’s temple as warmth spread from her chest outwards. Trent watched them with a genuine smile for a few seconds, before announcing that the scores were in.

Angie’s mascara was running slightly, but her smile was bright. “Ten!”

“Are you kidding me? Ten, obviously,” Barry said.

Dee Dee’s expression was the least stony Alyssa had ever seen it. “Ten!”

And even though the scores didn’t count towards the results, Alyssa still covered her mouth with her hand, blinking back yet more tears and knowing that, even if they didn’t win, she’d come away from her final dance of the season with more than she’d ever dared to dream.

* * *

**freddie **@sapphicsamba: BITVH

**vote emlyssa **@letsgolesbians: TELL ME WHY IM CRYING THEYRE SO IN LOVE THERES NO WAY THEY ARENT

**alice **@wooloowoo: @letsgolesbians: RIGHT LIKE IF THEY ARENT TOGETHER THEN LOVE LITERALLY DOESNT EXIST

**hoe **@timewives: not @ me sat on my couch eating cheetos and wondering if ill ever find a love like that

**not kara **@emmagreene: i thought i was ready to see the waltz again

**leigh **@alyssanolan: @emmagreene: you were incorrect

**not kara **@emmagreene: @alyssanolan: DONT ACT LIKE WE WERENT JUST CRYING AND HOLDING EACH OTHER

**connor **@lgbtango: hey @emmagreene and @alyssanolan are yall together

**ocean **@zazzhands: @lgbtango you just… don’t learn do you

**Betsy Nolan **@pwrtothegran: Everyone vote for Emma and Alyssa! #dwts and hey @officialemmanolan you made your grandmother cry I hope you’re happy

* * *

Emma would’ve been worried that Alyssa didn’t say much on the drive home, if Alyssa hadn’t been holding onto one of her hands so tightly that she was almost cutting off the circulation. Emma had been more than a little nervous before the show, not knowing how Alyssa was going to react to her plan, but Alyssa had understood what she’d meant by it. Alyssa always understood.

As soon as Emma kicked off her shoes and closed the front door behind her, Alyssa was stepping into her personal space, taking Emma’s bag from her and dropping it to the floor. She slid her hands under the lapels of Emma’s jacket, pushing it off her shoulders until it hit the ground, too. The tips of Alyssa’s fingers trailed slowly up and down her arms, and Emma swallowed heavily as she saw the determined look on her girlfriend’s face.

“Do you want to order food?” she asked, her voice coming out higher-pitched than usual.

Alyssa shook her head. “Maybe later.”

“Okay,” Emma said dumbly. “What’s, um, the plan until then?”

Alyssa leaned closer, kissing her languidly – although there was a certain intensity behind it that made Emma’s face heat up – before just barely pulling back. She was close enough that her lips brushed Emma’s again when she spoke.

“We’re going to go to the bedroom, and I’m going to show you some of the things I love about you.”

Emma’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes fluttering closed. “Baby…”

Alyssa linked their fingers together loosely, leading her through the apartment to the bedroom. Emma closed the bedroom door, turning around to find Alyssa somehow already minus her sweater and shirt. She reached behind her back to unhook her bra, keeping her eyes on Emma’s as she let it fall to the floor. Emma bit her bottom lip, eyes trailing over Alyssa’s body as she continued to strip until she was completely naked.

Emma’s breath came shorter as Alyssa walked over to her, a look behind her eyes that moved Emma in ways she wasn’t sure she fully understood. She wasn’t entirely sure what was happening, but she definitely wasn’t about to complain. Not when Alyssa was looking at her like that. She reached for the hem of her own shirt, but Alyssa stopped her.

“I want to.”

Emma nodded wordlessly, letting Alyssa pull the t shirt over her head, carefully so as not to skew the glasses that Emma had put back on after the taping. She held onto Emma’s hips, turning her and steering her towards the bed, and Emma let herself fall backwards onto it. Alyssa climbed onto the bed, too, straddling Emma’s waist and pinning her wrists to the mattress.

Emma’s eyes closed as Alyssa kissed her, slow and deep. Her tongue slipped into Emma’s mouth, drawing a satisfied groan. Emma’s hands curled into fists, wanting nothing more than to touch and yet completely happy for Alyssa to withhold that from her. She felt Alyssa shuffle backwards a bit, and then she was breaking the kiss only to trail her lips across Emma’s cheek.

“You’re so beautiful,” Alyssa breathed.

Eyes still closed, Emma gasped softly as Alyssa peppered her face with kisses; her cheeks, her nose, her forehead. She felt another kiss at the corner of her mouth, before Alyssa’s lips dropped to her chin and her jawline. She was taking her time, and the longer she teased the skin under her jaw, the more flushed Emma felt her whole body getting.

She was still a little worked up after their Fusion dance, a fact which she was sure Alyssa was all too aware of as she trailed the tip of her tongue down Emma’s neck and back up again. Without warning, Alyssa latched onto her pulse point and sucked hard.

Emma whimpered desperately, her back arching up into Alyssa’s naked body above her. “Oh, God.”

She felt Alyssa smirk into her skin, biting gently before releasing her neck and continuing to kiss a path down. She slid the straps of Emma’s bra down, leaving her shoulders bare and trailing her lips across them.

“I love your shoulders, Em,” Alyssa whispered. “They’re so strong.”

She kissed her way along one of her shoulders to her arm, pressing her lips to Emma’s bicep.

“So are these,” she said. “You hold me up like it’s the easiest thing in the world. I love it when your arms are around me. I feel so safe, no matter if my feet are on solid ground or not.”

Emma’s heart felt like it was overflowing as she realized what it was that Alyssa was doing. Nobody had ever taken this much time with her body like this, and it was a little overwhelming in the best possible way. Emma opened her eyes, wanting to watch, as Alyssa used the hand pinning one of Emma’s wrists to bring it up to her lips. She kissed the rapid pulse beating under the skin of her wrist before pressing her lips to Emma’s palm.

“I love your hands,” she continued. “They fit so well in mine, don’t you think?”

Emma made a strangled sound of agreement, biting her lip when Alyssa smiled at her before kissing her fingers. Emma felt a spike of heat go straight to her lower abdomen. Alyssa looked her in the eye as she carried on talking.

“I love your fingers, too,” she said. “These are talented fingers.”

She drew one of Emma’s fingers into her mouth, sucking on it for a long moment. Emma felt arousal pool between her legs, and her pants felt far too tight all of a sudden. Her brain blanked when Alyssa’s tongue swirled around her finger, barely even registering her moving on and doing the exact same thing to Emma’s other side.

Emma only came back to herself when she felt Alyssa release her wrists to focus on pushing her sports bra up. Emma helped her out as best as she could, wriggling out of the bra so that her upper body was completely bare. Alyssa’s eyes were immediately on her chest, and her tongue darted out to lick her lips before she was lowering her head and flicking her tongue over one of her nipples. Emma made a high-pitched keening noise when Alyssa closed her lips around her nipple, her tongue drawing circles around it. One of Alyssa’s hands came up to gently palm her other breast, her eyes meeting Emma’s with a hungry expression.

Alyssa lifted her head for long enough to pant, “Don’t even get me _started _on your boobs, or we’ll be here for days,” before switching sides and drawing Emma’s other nipple into her mouth instead.

Emma’s head fell back against the pillow, moaning loudly and not letting herself think twice before she was burying her hands in Alyssa’s hair. Alyssa allowed it, grazing her teeth over Emma’s nipple for good measure and whining when Emma’s grip tightened.

“Fuck,” Emma gasped, feeling Alyssa’s own breasts brushing against her skin and getting progressively dizzier.

Once she was finally done lavishing attention on Emma’s breasts, Alyssa continued to kiss her way down her body. She trailed her lips across her stomach, her hands stroking lightly down Emma’s sides as she did so.

“I love your tummy,” Alyssa said. “It’s so soft, and so beautiful, and I can’t get enough of the way your muscles jump under the skin when I go down on you.”

“Alyssa…” Emma whined, feeling herself grow even wetter between her legs as a result of the images her words conjured. “If you don’t touch me soon, I’m going to die.”

“All in good time,” Alyssa reassured her. “Besides, I have to take these off first.”

Her hands played with the waistband of Emma’s pants, pulling them down her legs agonizingly slowly. Emma released her hold on Alyssa, her hands falling uselessly to the mattress as she watched Alyssa strip her. Her socks got pulled off along with her pants, leaving her covered by just her boyshorts.

“I love your legs,” Alyssa said, trailing her lips up one of Emma’s calves. “They carry you across the dance floor so well now, and even if you didn’t trust them to start with, I always did.”

Emma laughed softly, blinking back tears from her eyes at the gentle assuredness in Alyssa’s voice and remembering just how much Alyssa had believed in her from the start. Her laugh cut off into a stuttered gasp when Alyssa moved higher up her leg to tease the insides of her thighs with her lips.

Alyssa’s chin brushed over her underwear as she skipped back up to her lower abdomen. Her hands played with the waistband, waiting for Emma’s fervent nod before she slowly peeled them down her legs until Emma was completely naked. And although she hadn’t felt self-conscious since her first time with Alyssa, Emma had never felt more comfortable with herself than she did in this moment.

Emma’s hands flew back to tangle in Alyssa’s hair as soon as Alyssa’s lips brushed her hipbone. A moan escaped her lips, craning her head just in time to see the glint in Alyssa’s eyes before she latched onto the soft skin there and sucked. Emma’s hips bucked sharply as Alyssa worked a dark bruise into her skin.

“And your hips…” she said, finally pulling her mouth away. “God, your hips.”

Emma heard the tremble in her voice, and blindly wondered if Alyssa was finding it harder now to hold off on touching her where she really needed it. Alyssa kissed her way across Emma’s hips before sucking another matching hickey into the skin just above her other hipbone. Emma writhed beneath her, tears finally escaping her eyes, because she’d never before felt this good despite having not having any of the building pressure relieved yet.

“Please,” she whispered. “_Please_.”

“I love you,” Alyssa said softly, spreading Emma’s legs and situating herself between them properly. She ran her tongue along the crease of Emma’s thigh. “Every part of you. Mind, body, and soul.”

Emma sobbed when Alyssa’s tongue finally made contact. She knew that she was wet; so wet that Alyssa’s tongue slid through her folds with no resistance whatsoever, but it still didn’t prepare her for Alyssa’s appreciative groan into her as she apparently discovered it for herself. Emma’s breath came in sharp pants, already so worked up from Alyssa’s ministrations that it was impossible to keep her hips still.

Alyssa’s tongue swiped over her clit, and Emma’s hips jerked harshly as she whimpered. She was trying her best to keep her eyes on Alyssa’s, but it was a real challenge when her tongue was making her feel this good. Alyssa built her up slowly, never staying in one place for too long, drawing out Emma’s pleasure as much as she could.

Emma’s head fell back when Alyssa’s tongue dipped inside her entrance, her thighs trembling as she felt her tongue curl inside her. Alyssa’s moan vibrated through her, and Emma closed her eyes as more tears escaped her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She needed more.

Almost as if she could read Emma’s mind, Alyssa licked her way back up to Emma’s clit, circling it a few times before wrapping her lips around it and sucking. Emma cried out, her fingers tightening in Alyssa’s hair as her legs started shaking uncontrollably. The pressure inside her, which had been building steadily ever since Alyssa had pushed her down on the bed, finally reached breaking point.

“Lys—”

Emma’s walls tightened around nothing at all, her hips rising from the mattress as she came. Wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her, and she wondered briefly if she might pass out. She felt Alyssa’s thumbs stroking over the hickeys she’d left earlier, bringing her down almost as slowly as she’d built her up and continuing to lick at her even after her orgasm had ended.

One of Emma’s hands left Alyssa’s hair, clamping over her own mouth as quiet sobs wracked her body. Immediately, Alyssa moved back up her body, holding her weight off Emma with one hand and using the other to gently remove her glasses and wipe her cheeks.

“Baby, are you okay?”

Emma sobbed harder, wrapping her arms around Alyssa and pulling her down so that she was lying on top of her. “Y-Yes.”

Alyssa used her thumb to catch a fresh tear that had escaped. Emma opened her eyes to see her girlfriend gazing down at her. She felt a rush of pure unadulterated love go through her body, wondering what she’d done to deserve having Alyssa in her life at all, let alone like _this_.

“I just—I love you so much,” she managed, taking a shuddering breath. “And I wanted to make our last dance special, but I was so worried you wouldn’t like being taken by surprise, or that it would be too much, or not enough, or—”

Alyssa shushed her quietly. “It was perfect,” she said. “_You’re _perfect. I can’t believe you got the entire band to help you record it. I can’t believe you organized it with the crew. I can’t believe you made me fall even more in love with you, because I didn’t think it was possible.”

“I wanted to show you how serious I am,” Emma said, calming down even as her heart rate started to pick up again. “About us. And since you said you wanted people to know, I thought that it might be… I don’t know, a good way to lead into it. It wasn’t entirely a public declaration of love in the traditional sense, but I knew that you’d understand what I meant by it.”

“I did,” Alyssa whispered. “I understood every word.”

Emma lifted her chin and kissed Alyssa, tasting herself on her girlfriend’s lips. Suddenly, her stomach rumbled, and Alyssa broke the kiss with a breathless laugh, brushing their noses together affectionately.

“Let’s order that food,” she suggested.

“But what about your turn?” Emma asked, her finger trailing up and down Alyssa’s spine and making her shiver.

“Dinner first, otherwise we’ll starve,” she said, around a low groan. “But after that… baby, we’re only just getting started.”

* * *

Alyssa woke up slowly on the morning of the final day of the season.

Even before she opened her eyes, she could feel the rhythmic rise and fall of Emma’s chest below somewhere just below her head. Her arm was draped across Emma’s stomach, her other arm under the pillow, with both of Emma’s arms loosely wrapped around her. Their legs were tangled together beneath the sheets. One of Emma’s hands was slowly stroking her hair; something hadn’t been aware of at first, which was how she knew Emma was already awake.

“Morning,” Emma whispered, and Alyssa smiled because Emma clearly knew that she was awake now, too.

She opened her eyes, blinking a couple of times as the world came into focus. “Good morning.”

“How did you sleep?”

“Really well, for some reason,” Alyssa said, a little teasingly. “I think I was really tired by the time I went to sleep.”

“Yeah, me too, that’s so weird,” Emma said. Alyssa could hear the smile in her voice as she continued. “Must’ve been really worn out after a long day.”

Alyssa snuggled closer still, wrapping her arm more firmly around Emma’s middle. “I don’t think we’ve gone that many rounds since our first time.”

“I—” Emma choked a little, and Alyssa just _knew _she was blushing adorably. “I think you may be right.”

“What time is it, by the way?” Alyssa asked, around a yawn.

“Um…” Emma paused, one of her hands leaving Alyssa’s body as she reached for her phone. “Just gone nine.”

“Thank God,” Alyssa said. “That means we don’t even have to think about getting up for another hour."

“And if we lie here long enough it might mean that we have to shower together,” Emma said slowly. “You know, to save time. And conserve water.”

Alyssa snorted. “That’s a weak excuse, even for us.”

“I know.”

“We’re still doing that, though,” Alyssa said. “Just to be clear.”

Emma laughed softly. “And until then, we can just lie here and enjoy doing absolutely nothing for once.”

“After all the exit press stuff this week, we’re going to have so much free time,” Alyssa sighed happily. “We can go out on proper dates.”

Her heart rate picked up at the thought of actually going out for dinner with Emma.

“Maybe I can actually finish the song that’s been in my head lately,” Emma said.

“Does it have words yet?”

“A few,” Emma said, her fingers tracing down Alyssa’s arm. “It’s about dancing. With you, specifically.”

Alyssa swallowed. “You’re writing a song about me?”

“I—I guess I am,” Emma said. “Is that okay?”

“Yes, Emma,” Alyssa said, turning to face her more and pressing a kiss to her jaw. “Of course it’s okay. It’s better than okay.”

“Well, you’re a very inspiring person,” Emma mumbled, tilting her head to rest it against Alyssa’s.

They stayed like that for a while, their quiet breathing the only sound in the room. Alyssa closed her eyes, almost dozing off again because Emma was just that comfortable. She just about stayed awake, though, basking in the familiarity of Emma’s skin against hers. It was crazy to her just how much her life had changed since meeting Emma; that she thought she’d been happy with her life. In a way, she had been happy, but it paled in comparison to how she felt now. It was the best kind of scary.

“As much as I want to continue lying here until we absolutely have to get up,” Alyssa said, “I actually have to go to the bathroom, so…”

Emma laughed. “Please go to the bathroom.”

“Okay, okay,” Alyssa said, extricating herself from Emma and getting out of bed. She went to use the bathroom, checking her reflection in the mirror above the sink and smoothing her hair down a bit before walking back into the bedroom. Immediately, Emma’s eyes were on her, and Alyssa smirked. “Perv.”

“Takes one to know one,” Emma said, sitting up a little and letting the sheets slip down. Alyssa’s gaze was instantly drawn to her breasts.

“Damn it.”

Emma smiled innocently at her. “See?”

“Well, you don’t have to be so smug about it,” Alyssa said, forcing her eyes away from her girlfriend’s naked torso. “Have you, um, seen my sweatpants? I think I washed them here but I don’t know where they went after that.”

“They might be in your drawer.”

Alyssa paused, hearing the barely-concealed nerves in Emma’s voice. Her heart skipped a beat as she glanced back up at Emma. “My what?”

“Your drawer,” Emma repeated quietly. She nodded to the dresser. “Second one from the top.”

Slowly, and feeling like she was hardly daring to breathe, Alyssa opened the drawer. She gasped softly, seeing her sweatpants, as well as some other items of clothing she recognized as her own. Emma broke the silence, speaking hurriedly.

“I just thought it might be nice for you to have a place to put some of your stuff when you’re here. It’s not me trying to make decisions for you or anything like that, I just wanted you to know that there’s a space for you here that’s… just yours.”

“Emma…” Alyssa took a deep breath, picking up the neatly-folded sweatpants and a t shirt that she’d brought over last week and hugging them to her chest. “You’re going to make me cry again.”

Emma smiled nervously. “Well, consider it payback for making me cry during sex last night.”

“I thought _that _was payback for making me cry on television,” Alyssa said, her voice thick with emotion. She strode over to the bed, dropping the clothes at the foot of it and crawling on top of Emma. She cupped Emma’s face in her hands and kissed her hard. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” Emma said, looking much less nervous than she had a minute ago.

“I thought you might be getting sick of me crashing here,” Alyssa admitted quietly. “Honestly, I barely remember what my own apartment looks like.”

“I could never get sick of you,” Emma said. “How could I?”

Alyssa shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s just… we didn’t have a very normal start to our relationship. It kinda feels like we’ve been together a lot longer than we actually have.”

“It does,” Emma agreed. “But I don’t care. We’re _us_, and whatever feels normal for us works for me.”

“For me, too,” Alyssa said, sitting back on Emma’s hips and playing with her hands. “So here’s to two normal women, about to go find out if they’ve won a reality TV dance competition.”

* * *

It felt weird to Emma, walking into the wardrobe department to get her costume for the last time. She’d been here so often over the past ten or eleven weeks and, to start with, she hadn’t really enjoyed it. But Darlene, and the rest of her team, had made her feel so comfortable here, never giving her costumes that didn’t feel like her, always checking what she was happy to wear on the show.

The wardrobe team, hard at work making last minute repairs and adjustments, greeted Emma as she walked in to get her Waltz costume back for the results. Emma waved at them, moving through the organized chaos until she found Darlene.

“Hey,” Emma said. Darlene lifted her head from the skirt she was looking over, her expression melting into a smile when she saw Emma.

“How are you feeling, little miss romantic?”

Emma laughed, unable to stop the blush that came to her cheeks. She should’ve expected that more people besides Alyssa would’ve understood what she’d been trying to say with the cover. “I don’t know. It’s like the last day of school.”

“Yeah, if school was a competition.”

“That, too,” Emma said, sighing and slipping her hands into her jacket pockets. “I keep telling myself that it’s fine if we don’t win, but… I still really want to.”

“It’s only natural to want to win,” Darlene said. “You wouldn’t have gotten this far if you didn’t.”

“I guess,” Emma said. “Still, Carrie’s become one of my best friends, and I know how close Alyssa and Shelby are. It would be so much easier if I didn’t like the people I was up against.”

“That’s the real trick of the show,” Darlene said, faux-wisely. “They start you off by competing and then it throws you for a loop when you befriend the competition over being in the same crazy situation.”

Emma thought back to the beginning of her friendship with Carrie. “That’s exactly it.”

“Anyway, don’t tell your friends, but I’m rooting for you and Alyssa,” Darlene said, lowering her voice.

“Yeah?” Emma grinned. “In what way?”

She glanced pointedly at her Waltz costume, hanging and ready for her on the railing. Darlene laughed loudly.

“In all the ways, kid.”

She handed the costume over. Emma looked at it for a moment, a smile spreading across her face, before she looked up at Darlene, who was watching her with a twinkle in her eye not unlike the one Betsy would sometimes get.

“Thank you,” Emma said. “For everything you’ve done for me this season. You, and the whole department… you’re incredible.”

Darlene’s eyes crinkled. “You’re welcome,” she said sincerely. “Win or lose, come back after the show and take as many of your costume pieces as you want. On the house.”

Emma couldn’t help it; she surged forwards and hugged Darlene tightly. Darlene patted her on the back, chuckling quietly. Emma drew back, a little embarrassed, but Darlene just smiled at her.

“Break a leg,” she said. “That’s what they say in the biz, right?”

“I’ve been hearing it a lot lately, so I guess so.”

* * *

Alyssa had just finished watching the dress run of the eliminated couples’ performance when her phone rang.

A rush of nervousness went through her as her mom’s contact picture came up on the screen. She had spoken to her mother a few times since she’d told her that she was in love with Emma, but they’d always been careful to keep the topic of conversation light. For some reason, though, Alyssa felt as if this talk was going to be different.

“Hi, mom,” she said, answering the phone and walking to a quieter corner of the room.

“Hello, sweetie,” her mother said. “Not long to go now.”

Or maybe this talk wasn’t going to be so different, after all. “Yeah, it’s getting close. I can’t believe it’s the final episode.”

“Well, you’ve worked very hard to be here.”

“I have,” Alyssa said. “So has Emma. So has everyone.”

“I know,” Mrs Greene said. There was a pause that went on for so long that Alyssa checked her phone to make sure the line hadn’t gone dead without her noticing, and then her mother spoke again. “I’m sorry for what I said.”

“W-When?” Alyssa’s brow furrowed.

“The last twenty years or so,” her mom said quietly.

Alyssa sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh.”

“I just thought I was doing what was right,” her mother sighed. “Dancing isn’t always a stable career, and I didn’t want you to be let down. I thought that if you focused on your job and nothing else, then it would give you the best chance of success. You had to want it more than anything else.”

“And I did,” Alyssa said. “I still want to be a dancer more than you could imagine. I just… that way of thinking was holding me back from being truly happy a lot more than I’d realized.”

“I’m sorry,” Mrs Greene said again.

“I was so torn,” Alyssa admitted. “I thought I had to choose between the competition and Emma, but… if there’s one thing I’ve found out recently, it’s that I don’t. Whatever the result is tonight, I didn’t have to choose.”

“I made that so hard for you,” her mom said softly. “But when I watched the show last night, and saw your Waltz again…”

Alyssa closed her eyes as her mother inhaled deeply.

“Honey, you’ve never danced better.”

“Mom…”

“I underestimated you,” Mrs Greene said, sniffing a little. “And I underestimated Emma. It—It looks like she really loves you.”

Alyssa bit down on her bottom lip. “She does.”

“I’d love to meet her one day,” her mom said. “If that’s okay with both of you.”

“I… yeah, of course,” Alyssa said, a little stunned with the turn this conversation had taken. “Thanks, mom.”

“I love you, Alyssa,” her mother said. “I’ve always wanted what’s best for you, and I’m so sorry that it took so long for me to see that I was going about it wrong.”

“I forgive you,” Alyssa said softly. “And I love you, too.”

“I’m glad,” Mrs Greene laughed weakly. “So, tell me more about your girlfriend. I’m assuming you’re girlfriends. When did you fall in love?”

Alyssa snorted, because this was more like the woman she was used to. “We’re together, yes. Do you want me to start from the beginning?”

“Absolutely.”

And even though Alyssa was planning to leave a few certain elements out of her story, she took a deep breath, and began.

* * *

With almost two hours to go before the show, the Sky Box was deserted.

Well, deserted apart from Emma, Alyssa, Kaylee and Shelby, all of them sat on the floor in the corner with their backs against the walls. Emma sat with her arm around Alyssa’s shoulders against one wall, with Kaylee and Shelby sat leaning against the wall perpendicular to them.

“This is nice,” Shelby said wryly. “Never knew that there could be two third wheels before.”

“Shut up, Gonzales,” Alyssa said, settling further into Emma’s side. Emma bit back a comment about how Shelby and Kaylee didn’t have to be third wheels if only they’d turn to each other. She noticed that Kaylee was watching her and Alyssa with an unreadable expression on her face.

“You okay, Kaylee?” she asked.

“Huh?” Kaylee jumped a little, cheeks flushing. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Just wondering if you’d seen this morning’s headlines.”

“The ones speculating on our relationship after the Waltz?” Alyssa raised an eyebrow

“Yeah, those,” Kaylee said. “I think I even saw a timeline of someone trying to work out if and when you got together on twitter. Does it bother you?”

“A bit,” Emma said. “For me, anyway. “Less so the twitter stuff. I guess it’s just the thought that people are getting paid to write about us… I can’t get my head around it.”

“The vote closed before the headlines came out this morning,” Alyssa said. “Otherwise it would’ve been more annoying. But, yeah, I’m still not used to it.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it,” Emma admitted. “I guess the best we can hope for is that eventually the gossip sites lose interest in us.”

“I’m sure they will,” Shelby said. “For technically being a new relationship, the two of you are rock-solid.”

Emma bit her lip in an attempt to stop her smile from growing too wide. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“How do you do it?”

Everyone turned to look at Kaylee. Emma cleared her throat.

“Are you asking us how we _do it_?” she asked. “Because there’s more than one way to—”

Alyssa clamped her hand over Emma’s mouth with a warning look. “Don’t say another word.”

Emma shrugged helplessly, pointing to Shelby, who was doubled over with laughter, and Kaylee, whose face had gone very red. She licked Alyssa’s palm playfully, grinning as she was released.

Shelby shook her head in amazement. “Don’t act so innocent, Greene. You were the one talking about Emma’s hip action on live television.”

“To be clear, I wasn’t talking about sex,” Kaylee said quickly. “I just wanted to know how you made the transition from friends, to more than friends, so easily.”

“Oh,” Emma said. She looked at Alyssa, who tilted her head as she gazed back at her. “I don’t know. I think we were just so comfortable with each other by that point – physically and emotionally – that although it was a huge step, it didn’t feel like it.”

“It just felt… right,” Alyssa said quietly.

Emma leaned in, pressing a chaste kiss to Alyssa’s mouth simply because she was unable to help herself. She heard Kaylee take a shaky breath.

“Felt right,” she repeated.

Emma turned her attention to her, a little confused. Alyssa stilled at her side, almost as if she was holding her breath. Shelby looked bewildered and more than a little concerned as Kaylee stared down at her hands.

“Kaylee…” Shelby began gently.

“I have to go,” Kaylee squeaked, getting to her feet and walking towards the exit.

Shelby got up, too, looking as if she was torn between staying or following. She put a palm to her forehead. “Shit.”

Emma didn’t know what to do. But it didn’t matter, because then Kaylee turned around and marched back over to the three of them. She looked terrified, but determined.

“No,” she said. “No, I don’t have to go. That was a lie. I was just scared.”

“Whatever it is, you can tell us,” Alyssa said gently. “Right?”

She nudged Emma, who jolted into action. “Yeah, totally.”

“Remember, Kayls,” Shelby said, her voice soft. “No matter how stupid you think it is, you can tell me anything and everything.”

Kaylee took a deep breath. “Okay. Shelby, I—I want to kiss you.”

Emma’s mouth fell open. For a moment, there was just silence – apart from Alyssa’s quiet gasp – while Shelby blinked rapidly, almost like she thought she’d misheard her.

“What?” she managed weakly.

“I _really _want to kiss you,” Kaylee said, steeling herself. “I haven’t quite figured everything out. Not yet. But the one thing I do know is that I might die if I don’t kiss you right now. I would _never _do this to play around with how you feel, I promise, I—I just—”

Without a word, Shelby crossed the distance between them, cupped Kaylee’s cheek with a trembling hand, and kissed her.

Emma hardly dared to breathe, because she couldn’t quite believe what she was witnessing right now. She was watching as Kaylee’s hands found purchase on the curve of Shelby’s waist, keeping her close as they kissed, and she suddenly felt as if she might cry.

After a few moments, Shelby broke the kiss. She swallowed visibly, eyes darting around Kaylee’s face. Kaylee opened her eyes, a slow smile spreading across her face. Shelby exhaled steadily, and it seemed to Emma as if the two of them were having an entire conversation without saying a word.

“Kaylee…” Shelby said, eventually, her thumb stroking over Kaylee’s cheek. “Would you like to go on a—a date with me?”

Kaylee nodded quickly, sniffing a little bit. “Yes. Yes, Shelby, I would love to go on a date with you.”

“Okay,” Shelby whispered. “I know it’s not exactly normal, after what I’ve told you about how I feel…”

“I don’t care,” Kaylee said, hugging her tightly. “I’m so glad you told me.”

Emma, satisfied that the two of them were in their own little world, turned to Alyssa. She kept her voice quiet. “How often do they have moments like this in front of you?”

“More often than you’d expect.”

* * *

Alyssa felt odd, changing from her opening number costume back into the Waltz costume – which was what she’d be wearing for the results. She’d just danced with Jules for the final time this season. She’d just danced with _all _the pros for the final time this season.

Now, she was on her way back up to the Sky Box to watch the eliminated couples dance together one last time, and then that would be it. No more dances. All that was left to do were a few final interviews, and then the results.

Alyssa thought back to the first meeting she’d had, before the season had started. That had been the beginning of it all, the first time she’d really thought about Emma as a person, when she’d first heard about the idea to pair her with a female dancer as a publicity stunt. A smirk pulled at Alyssa’s lips as she thought that it had definitely backfired more than a little on them. Their partnership had definitely brought the show some publicity, just maybe not in the way the producers had anticipated.

She tightened her grip on Emma’s hand.

After the final dance performance, Trent gathered the remaining three couples in front of the camera in the Sky Box for a final interview. Alyssa stood beside Emma with her arm around her waist, her other hand holding onto Emma’s where it was draped over her shoulders. It was funny, because she was slightly taller than Emma in her heels, and yet this was the position they’d found themselves in.

Trent went to Marcus and Shelby first.

“I’ve had the best time on this show,” Marcus said. “Shelby’s style of teaching isn’t unfamiliar to me, having worked with a lot of directors, so I felt right at home straight away.”

Shelby elbowed him in the ribs.

“Oof. No, but really, Shelby is an incredible teacher,” Marcus continued. “I’m so grateful to her.”

Trent pointed his microphone at Shelby. “And how has Marcus been as a student?”

“Hard-working,” Shelby said. “He picks things up very quickly, which makes my job a lot easier, and he already had the performance background so it meant that he was able to sell each and every dance.”

“And how are you feeling today?”

“Uh, a lot of things,” Shelby said. “Nervous, excited, and… just happy.”

Alyssa grinned to herself, knowing that at least sixty per cent of those emotions were completely unrelated to the competition.

“Carrie, how has dancing compared to ice skating?”

“Well, there’s definitely some transferable skills, for which I am extremely grateful,” Carrie said. “But there’s also a lot of differences. Spotting, for example. Skaters don’t spot when we spin, because we’re going too fast, so I had to learn that in addition to completely changing up my footwork.”

“I, for one, am very glad that she doesn’t have blades on her feet for ballroom dancing,” Elliott chipped in. “Makes me feel a whole lot safer.”

Trent laughed, finishing up their interview before moving to offer the mic to Emma. “Can you sum up the last three months in three words?”

“Honestly? I can’t,” Emma said. Alyssa squeezed at her waist, waiting for her to continue. “My life is so different to how it was, it’s crazy. I have so much to be thankful for, but nothing more so than the woman standing next to me. In a completely unexpected way, she’s turned my life around entirely.”

Alyssa looked at Emma, to see her girlfriend gazing back at her with an adoring expression on her face.

“Actually, yeah, I think I can sum it up in three words. Changed my life.”

Trent beamed at the two of them. “And you, Alyssa? What’s been your biggest takeaway from your first competitive season of _Dancing With the Stars_?”

“It’s…” Alyssa trailed off, biting her lip and deciding to throw caution to the wind, just a bit. “I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned that the people you love are the most important things in the world, mainly. I’ve also learned that when some higher-ups decide to pair you with a lesbian just to create controversy, they should be prepared for all outcomes. Like if, say, you were also a lesbian.”

The look on Trent’s face could only be described as overjoyed bewilderment. Kevin started a chant of “lesbians” in the back amongst the rest of the dancers, and Alyssa laughed as she imagined the scramble that certain producers must be experiencing right now. She looked at Emma, who grinned back at her, and felt an immediate sense of relief wash over her.

She’d just come out on live television. And, although it perhaps wouldn’t be a surprise to many, it still felt damn good.

* * *

Emma stood on the dance floor with her arms around Alyssa’s waist from behind, like she had so many times before, only this time it was different. This time, it would be the last time. She wanted to enjoy it, despite how nervous she was, so instead of hiding her face in Alyssa’s hair, she perched her chin on her shoulder, looking out at the audience and taking in the sight of the magnificent room one more time.

On one side of her, there was Carrie and Elliott. On the other side, was Marcus and Shelby. In front of her, the Mirrorball trophy glinted under the studio lights.

“Before we announce the winner,” Tom said. Emma groaned under her breath, because of course they were going to draw this out for as long as possible. “I’d like to show our final three couples some love, and so we’d like to present a compilation of each pair’s journey throughout the show.”

Emma sucked in a breath, already knowing that she wasn’t going to get through this without crying. Her and Alyssa’s clip package was played second, a camera capturing their reactions on a split-screen for the viewers at home.

On the screen, Emma saw herself meeting Alyssa for the first time.

“Hi, Emma,” the Alyssa of the past said. Her voice was soft. “I’m Alyssa, I’m going to be your dance partner.”

The Emma on the screen looked baffled. “What?”

Emma chuckled lowly, holding Alyssa tighter as the video began to show footage from their early rehearsals. Emma was pretty bad, looking more than a little uncomfortable as she tried to shimmy in time to the music. The picture changed to their first performance, and luckily they’d picked a clip from the end of the routine where Emma was actually smiling.

The clips continued on; images of them in the rehearsal room, joking around with each other, dancing, giggling in their joint interviews. Emma watched herself fall in love with Alyssa with rapt attention. It took her breath away. Whoever had put together this video seemed like they somehow knew; that they had seen their real story, and understood it.

The video finished with footage from their repeat performance of the Waltz from the previous night. Their foreheads were pressed together in the final dip of the routine. Alyssa was openly crying, and Emma was looking at her with such adoration in her eyes. Emma watched, as the past version of them hugged tightly. And then, she heard it.

“I love you,” the Alyssa on the screen said. “I love you, Emma Nolan.”

Emma swallowed heavily but, before she could panic too much, Alyssa brought the hand that was in her hair back around to squeeze Emma’s where they rested over her abdomen. Alyssa was relaxed. Emma supposed that, since she’d said her piece just now in the Sky Box, she didn’t mind that someone – whether it had been a producer or simply a well-meaning editor – had evidently boosted her mic levels from the performance to hear what she was saying. Now that things were more or less out in the open, on their own terms, it had no power over them.

And, with that knowledge, Emma let herself enjoy the moment.

After all three videos had been shown, it was finally time. The lights dimmed, a spot on each other couples as well as on the Trophy. Trent and Tom were off to the side under another spotlight, facing the camera. Tom had an impassive expression on his face, but Trent was all smiles, even though he probably didn’t know the result that would be delivered into Tom’s earpiece.

“For the past ten weeks, these three pairs have danced their way through the competition, proving why they are the best this season had to offer,” Trent began, and Emma’s pulse began to spike. “Now, America has chosen its champions.”

Alyssa’s hand returned to its place on the back of Emma’s neck, playing with the hairs there. Emma pressed her cheek against Alyssa’s, seeing her smile out of the corner of her eye. Her heart pounded in her chest. She couldn’t feel her feet.

“The winners of this season of _Dancing With the Stars _are…” Tom announced, pausing as the music turned tense. Emma breathed steadily through her nose, entirely too aware of the number of eyes on her right now. She forced them all away, narrowing her circle of awareness down to just her and Alyssa. Everything else faded from view and, mercifully, the moment went still.

“Emma and Alyssa!”

A tsunami of sound hit Emma, and it was all she could do to stay upright. She didn’t know what she did in the first moment of realization; all she could see was the bright lights of the studio as they changed to illuminate everything. Confetti rained down upon them from somewhere, and then Alyssa was in her arms, hugging her tighter than ever. Emma blinked, shutting her mouth when she realized it had fallen open and shaking her head in amazement.

“What?”

“Emma, we won,” Alyssa said, her voice quiet in Emma’s ear. “We actually… we actually _won_.”

“Is this really happening?” Emma asked, even as the reality of the situation began to set in. “Oh my God.”

She lifted Alyssa off her feet, tears of disbelief coming to her eyes. Alyssa clung onto her, body trembling a little, and Emma wondered if it was only just setting in for her now, too. She spun Alyssa around suddenly, her heart brimming with joy and excitement, before putting her down and finally allowing the rest of the world into her bubble.

Tom and Trent were either side of them, escorting them forwards until they were standing by the trophy.

“Congratulations,” Tom said, but Emma barely heard him over the cheering from the audience and from the other dancers up in the Sky Box. “Do you have any words?”

Emma shook her head a little dazedly, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth while the other one held on tightly to Alyssa’s. Tom seemed to understand, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder and smiling widely at her.

Trent carefully picked up the Mirrorball trophy from its plinth, nodding at Tom once as he brought it closer to Emma and Alyssa.

“May I present our champions, Emma and Alyssa!” Tom announced.

Trent handed the trophy over to them, and Emma could only look at Alyssa in giddy disbelief as, together, they raised the Mirrorball high over their heads. There was an answering roar from the crowd, and Emma almost dropped the trophy when sparks shot up around her. She hadn’t even realized they’d been rigged to do that.

“And now, it’s time for the victory dance!” Trent yelled excitedly.

Emma and Alyssa handed the trophy back to him for safe keeping, and then Emma was taking hold of Alyssa’s outstretched hand and spinning her under her arm as the band struck up the chorus of Tina Turner’s _Simply the Best_. It felt a little on the nose, but Emma didn’t care; she was too focused on enjoying the moment. It was almost like their free dancing sessions in their studio, only on a much grander scale.

Emma picked Alyssa up, one arm under her legs and the other supporting her back, and twirled around on the spot. Alyssa laughed into her collar, holding on around her neck for dear life. Emma put her down just as the rest of the couples swarmed them in celebration, and there was so much noise, but she found that she didn’t mind.

It felt like a party as Emma was mobbed with hugs from Carrie, and Kevin, and even Nick, as well as others that she couldn’t see through the chaos. She lost Alyssa in the crowd for a moment, but then she turned around, and there she was. Kaylee and Shelby were hugging her, one each side, and then Alyssa looked up and met Emma’s eyes. Multiple emotions played across her face, and Emma was sure that she looked exactly the same.

Carrie shoved her playfully. “Go kiss your girl.”

“I—”

“Do it!”

Emma looked back over to Alyssa, noticing that Shelby and Kaylee were both shoving her in Emma’s direction with identical looks of glee on their faces. Emma wasn’t the best lip-reader, but even she could see that they were telling Alyssa to kiss her, too.

Alyssa stumbled forwards at the same time as Carrie shoved Emma again, and the two of them collided in the middle of the floor. They caught each other, their eyes meeting, and suddenly Emma knew what was going to happen a second before it did. She nodded, the fire in Alyssa’s eyes taking her breath away.

Emma’s eyes slipped closed just before their lips met and, just like that, they were the only people in existence. Everything else melted away – the cameras, the audience, even their friends – and all Emma could feel was Alyssa’s lips moving softly against her own. Her hands slid into Alyssa’s hair, kissing her with everything she had. She still couldn’t believe this was happening.

They’d won.

Emma didn’t know how she thought she’d felt, partly because as much as she’d wanted to win, she hadn’t really considered the possibility too closely, but here they were. Champions. And yet, Emma knew in her heart that the Mirrorball trophy was far from the best thing this whole experience had brought her.

It had brought her the love of her life.

* * *

**hoe **@timewives: NOBODY TALK TO ME FOR A MONTH THE GAYS CAME THROUGH I CANT BELIEVE IT OH MY FUCKING GOD

**alice **@wooloowoo: TEHY KISSED! ON FUVKING NATIONAL TELEVISON! MY PARENTS!

**vote emlyssa **@letsgolesbians: IVE NEVER FELT CLOSER TO MY USERNAME OR MY @ IN MY LIFE

**leigh has a gf! **@alyssanolan: IM DEADASS CRYING RN THIS DAY HAS BEEN SO OVERWHELMING

**not kara **@emmagreene: @alyssanolan <3

**kara {stream emma’s aty} **@emmasnolans: SEASONS OVER NOW WHAT #dwts

**Alyssa **@AlyssaGreene: time stands still. beauty in all she is. Congratulations, my love!

**emma nolan **@officialemmanolan: @AlyssaGreene I love you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hoooooooly fuck imma go lie down
> 
> i hope you enjoyed your dwts journey, big love to you all!

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading!
> 
> please feel free to yell your thoughts at me in the comments, i LIVE for that stuff! thoughts, predictions, anything!
> 
> I LOVE YOU BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE


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